Death Before Dishonour
by SuperNova26
Summary: Self preservation was a powerful motivator that sometimes made good people do bad things. At least, that's the excuse that bad people who think of themselves as good, give to justify their actions. Harry Potter wasn't sure he'd ever been 'good', but he knew he was good at being bad. He just always thought, that the ends justified the means.
1. Chapter 1 - Pure-blood Traditions

_**A/N:-**_This is my first HP story. And I hope an original one. This is completely AU. I don't have a beta so all mistakes are mine, I've proof read it but i'm sure there will be some errors, I can only apologise. Please let me know what you think via a review or PM, I welcome all feedback, it's the only way to improve. Please enjoy the first chapter of Death before Dishonour.

_**Disclaimer:- **_All characters and world belong to J.K Rowling. I make nothing off this Fanfiction -it's a hobby!

_**Death Before Dishonour **_

_**Chapter One – Pure-blood traditions **_

Harry had looked forward to this day for nearly six years. Fantasised about it, played out a hundred different ways in his mind. It had always been the thought that had got him through those cold, pre-Hogwarts years before morphing into the well practised mantra that had helped him cope with the bleak summer holidays, that he was forced to suffer at Number four Privet Drive every year.

But today was different. Today was the day that he had left. And he would be damned if he ever returned.

Harry wriggled the perfect Windsor knot of his silver and emerald tie until it nestled perfectly into the centre of his collar. Harry took a moment, as he stood in the dingy, stinking public toilet of Kings Cross, to admire the reflection that stared back at him in the dirty mirror that sat before him.

He'd certainly come a long way from the lost little boy, dressed in second hand Hogwarts robes, who had spent nearly an hour wandering around the Muggle train station looking for Platform nine and three quarters. Now here he stood, dressed in a crisp white shirt, tie coloured proudly in his house colours, tailored trousers and finely stitched plain black cloak. His hair was still an unruly mess, never to be tamed, a famous Potter family trait whilst his vibrant green eyes hid behind circular rimmed glasses he'd had for as long as he could remember.

Harry tore his eyes from his reflection. Silently proud of himself. Sure, it'd cost him the last of the gold he'd earned the previous year but for the first year since he started Hogwarts, he was dressed in a _brand new _school uniform. It might not seem like much to some but to Harry, it was everything. He looked down at the brown paper bag clutched tightly in his left hand. The last items of clothing that the Dursleys had given him sat, folded neatly, in that bag – the ones he'd worn on his train journey to Kings Cross, before he'd gotten changed into his new uniform – everything else the Dursleys had ever given him had been left behind, folded neatly on his mattress in his cupboard under the stairs.

With no hesitation, Harry dropped the brown paper bag into the waste paper bin that sat just inside the entrance to the rest room, as he walked purposely out and toward Platform nine and three quarters.

Kings Cross never seemed to be quiet. Even at quarter to eleven on a Monday morning it was packed with commuters rushing from one meeting to another, squeezing into any little gap that opened amongst the throng of people, careful to not spill a drop of their coffee out of the plastic takeaway cups they gripped so tightly. Harry had often wondered, as he walked toward the Hogwarts Express in years past, if it was because of the Muggles constant need to be in a rush, that they never saw the confused looking families packing their Muggle-born children off to Hogwarts for the first time, or even, the oddly dressed Wizards using the Muggle-born entrance to the platform to create a sense of wonder for their own children's first trip to Hogwarts.

Harry never broke his stride as he approached the entrance to the platform. He'd had five years of walking through the wall, the effect long since having lost its magic for him; so it was with practised ease that Harry Potter found himself suddenly standing on Platform nine and three quarters, ears instantly assaulted by the noise of the tightly packed in crowd of Wizards and Witches who where saying their last goodbyes to each other.

The Hogwarts Express looked at magnificent as always. Ready and raring to go, a thick plume of jet black smoke billowing out of the front of the bright red train, that gleamed in the early September sun. Harry took a deep breath, before starting to move forward, meandering through the crowd and looking for one of the carriages near the front of the train.

As he walked through the crowd, navigating it easily due to his lack of trunk, Harry saw a few familiar faces of students in or around his year. He saw Zacharias Smith of HufflePuff, giving his father a brief one armed hug whilst a couple of feet away from him, a visibly upset Cho Chang said her goodbyes to a little girl that Harry assumed to be her little sister.

Harry saw the ever diminishing brood of Weasleys trying to extract themselves from their mother, with Longbottom, Granger and Thomas standing just off to the side, looking a little awkward as mother Weasley hugged both her youngest fiercely.

Briefly, ever so briefly, Harry made eye contact with Neville Longbottom. Harry had never had much to do with him, or any of the Gryffindors to be honest, he left the antagonizing to Draco - who hated everything about that little quartet of lions. Quite why, Harry never understood. Harry extended Neville a slight nod of the head in acknowledgement, a gesture that was returned, before Harry stepped onto the train, leaving the crowd behind him.

Just the smell of the train made Harry smile. It was hard to describe. A mixture of wood, coal and freshly baked bread that met his nostrils. It truly reminded him of home.

Harry walked the corridor of the first carriage eagerly, peeping into each compartment as he did so, most were empty but a few were occupied by lone first years – all sitting nervously, hoping desperately to make friends – and others held recently reunited friends. None of them his friends though.

It was about three quarters up the carriage that Harry came to a stop, knocking sharply on the glass of the door – the compartment inside obscured from view by the pulled down blind – a tall, well built silhouette stood, unlocking the compartment door with a casual flick of their wand, opening it a fraction. Harry smiled as a familiar grey eye greeted him.

The door opened fully to reveal the giant figure of Blaise Zabini. Harry himself was by no means short but he was dwarfed by Blaise. Blaise was a tall, firmly build young man. His dark skin caused his slanting grey eyes to stand out, his face built around high cheekbones and a chiselled jaw. His hair was closely shaved to his scalp and immaculately trimmed, face clean shaven and looked like it had never seen so much as a pimple in it's sixteen years. Blaise, like Harry, had already changed into his uniform, although his was of a slightly more elective taste.

Blaise offered his hand, which Harry accepted warmly, giving the bigger boy a slap on the back as shook it. He passed and plopped down into the plush red leather seats of the compartment after a few seconds, sliding along so he sat near the window, opposite Blaise – the compartment table sitting empty between them.

"Good summer?" Asked Blaise with a smile, like he already knew the answer. Which he did.

"Not at all." Replied Harry with a smile of his own. "You?"

"Dreadful!" Agreed Blaise cheerfully. "Good job it's the last summer either of us will have to go back then, isn't it?"

"Been waiting for this day since the end of first year!" Exclaimed Harry happily.

"You got rid of those rags you called clothes?" Enquired Blaise, raising one perfectly maintained eyebrow.

"The last of them are currently sitting in a toilet bin back in the Muggle section of Kings Cross." Harry said with a happy grin. Who would have known the sense of relief you could achieve from binning clothes? "You have my trunk?"

Blaise nodded and smiled, showing off those pearly white teeth that had every girl in fifth year and above weak at the knees, patting his right thigh confidently. "So how was your summer with your _family?" _

Harry ran a hand through his hair as he thought of an accurate way to describe his summer.

"Easy." Admitted Harry with a shrug. "Think we came to a bit of an understanding this summer. I stayed out of their way and they stayed out of mine. Think my Uncle was just happy this year would be the last that he would have to see my face. Can't say the feeling wasn't mutual. Just took it one day at a time. Yours?"

Blaise let out a sigh and shook his head.

"Hard work." Admitted Blaise. "My mothers latest _meal ticket _isn't exactly keen on her..." Blaise chewed his lip for a moment before completing his sentence. "_Baggage_."

" He must have known about you though, surely?" Asked Harry curiously, sinking back into his chair. Keeping your sixteen year old son secret wasn't exactly easy. Especially when you were as infamous as Mrs. Zabini.

"Of course." Shrugged Blaise nonchalantly. "But I think he was of the opinion that I was out of sight, out of mind for nine months of the year... So I wasn't worth considering. Bit different when I turn up on the doorstep for the summer."

Harry nodded before feeling a mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I'm sure that your mother had ways of taking his mind off you."

Blaise's face scrunched up in disgusted look, the same way it did any time one of them mentioned Mrs. Zabini's special talents.

"Please, I've only just had breakfast. You'll make me vomit." Moaned Blaise theatrically.

"Does she know you aren't coming back?" asked Harry.

"Dunno," answered Blaise with a shrug. "Don't really care, to be honest. And I don't think she will either. What was it she once called me?" Blaise seemed to think, mockingly, for a few seconds before bitterly finishing,"her anchor. I think she'll just be glad to be young, free and...well...soon to be single again."

Harry had known since their second year that Blaise was an unfortunate accident. An blemish during his mothers unusual career choice. And that she had never quite let him forget it. Or forgiven him for it, like he had any choice in the matter.

"Free of her now." Reminded Harry.

"Yeah..." Blaise said distantly. "No more tainted gold. No more new homes. No more new 'fathers' and no more funerals that I have to pretend to give a shit about."

"It's a new year." Stated Harry happily. "A new beginning!"

Blaise sniggered under his breath.

"Merlin, isn't Theo normally the one for corny one-liners?"

"Oh shut up." Laughed Harry. "It's a big deal!"

"Anyway, lets move away from these depressing topics!" Urged Blaise, changing topic. "How'd you do on your O.W.L.S?"

"Pretty good." Replied Harry with a nod of his head.

"Meaning..." Probed Blaise expectantly. Harry supposed this is what you get when you have no means of communication with your friends over the summer. He knew he should have just told Vernon that he'd have to put up with the constant Owls instead of accepting and easy life.

"O's in Defence, Transfiguration, Charms, History and Herbology. E's in Potions,Astronomy and Runes." Said Harry. "You?"

"Snapes gonna be well happy with you!" Exclaimed Blaise. "Single handedly making up for Crabbe and Goyle!"

Harry chuckled. The memory of Snape trying desperately to get the both Crabbe and Goyle to remember the ingredients to the Polyjuice potion was one of the highlights of fifth year for Harry.

"Well I didn't do anywhere near as well as you but managed; O's in Potions and Charms. Got E's in Transfiguration, Defence, Arithmancy and Creatures. A's in History and Herbology."

"Congrats!" Congratulated Harry.

The train conductors whistle pierced the air and all of a sudden there seemed to be a mad rush onto the train. Suddenly, the previously quiet corridors, burst into life. Students flooded the carriages, desperately scrambling to secure a compartment for themselves and their friends, were they could trade gossip from their summers. The train jolted into life and began it's journey toward Hogsmeade.

"I hope the trolley gets here soon." Moaned Harry, feeling his stomach rumble. "I didn't get chance to pinch some breakfast."

"Gonna be a while yet mate." Blaise said with sympathy. "Only just set off, she never normally starts going until the other side of Yorkshire."

If anything, that statement seemed to only cause his stomach to protest more.

"Could always go look for a Weasley?" Grinned Blaise. "Hear their mum packs them with enough to feed a Quidditch team."

"Think I'll give it a miss." Said Harry, thinking he'd rather eat his own shoes than soggy sandiwches that had been in Ron Weasley's pockets along with Merlin knew what. "Though I'm sure little Ginny Weasley will be pleased to hear her mothers cooking comes so highly recommended!"

"Heh...Little Ginny Weasley isn't so little any more!" Blaises perfect eyebrows raised suggestively. "I coped an eyeful of her back at the platform in a delightful little sundress. Might have to branch out into Gryffindor this year."

"Thought you branched out into Gryffindor last year?" Asked Harry. Honestly it was hard to keep up with just where Blaise was directing his attention. Ever since the Yule Ball, Blaise had been carving his way through the Witches from Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. "Wasn't Lavender you 'branching out'?"

"Oh yeah...Lavender..."

A blissful look fluttered across Blaises face as he remembered his encounters with Lavender Brown the previous term. Harry wished he didn't know exactly what Blaise was thinking about; unfortunately as gifted as Blaise was with the girls of Hogwarts; he was even more gifted at telling every male in their dorm every detail of his exploits, whether it was wanted or not.

"I'm not sure Lavender really counts, mate." Blaise said, regaining the use of his tongue. "That was just stress relief."

"Not sure Weasley would be happy out your thinking about using his sister for 'stress relief'."

"Well..." Shrugged Blaise. Boyfriends didn't stop Blaise Zabini, Harry highly doubted he'd let brothers. "Gives Draco and Theo a valid reason to hex him, then doesn't it? Win – Win for everybody!"

"Like Draco and Theo need an excuse." Countered Harry, raising his eyebrows over the rim of his glasses.

"They do now, since you told them to stop!"

"It makes sense." Replied Harry, irritably. He was sick of having this conversation with the three of them. He couldn't see what the big deal about this petty war they had with Weasley, Longbottom and Thomas. "Messing round with Weasley, Thomas and, especially, Longbottom can only bring about more attention on us. It was bad enough with Draco and Umbridge last year. That's attention we don't want and certainly don't need."

"It's good fun though!" Grinned Blaise.

"If you say so." Shrugged Harry. "I wonder where Theo and Draco are?"

"I haven't seen Draco but I saw Theo back on the platform. Didn't look to happy." Said Blaise. "Draco...I only had a few letters from him this summer..."

It wasn't exactly surprisingly. The events at the end of the previous school year had had to have had an affect on the Malfoy household. Draco had not been happy at his family name being dragged through the mud; he'd been furious at the fact that his father had allowed himself to be arrested, been furious at the fact that Longbottom (who had also broken into the Ministry) had gotten away with it. Furious that the entire Wizarding world now knew that his father spent his time grovelling on his knees in front of another Wizard.

Suddenly the all powerful Malfoy family didn't seem so powerful.

It was this fury that had almost caused Harry and Draco to come to wands in the middle of the common room. Draco had been intent on going after Longbottom, or Weasley...or anybody in Gryffindor colours the day that news of his fathers arrest had broken. Harry had stopped him, tried to talk him down and when it had been apparent that their was only one way to stop Draco was prepared to duel. Luckily, the escalating commotion had brought Professor Snape into their dungeon – who, despite not being his biggest fan, sided with Harry - and practically dragged Draco out of the common room for a 'talk'.

"I'm not surprised. I can only imagine what this summer has been...like for him. Them both, really." Concluded Harry with sympathy..

"Can't choose your family." Stated Blaise wisely.

"Otherwise we'd all have pi-"

Harry was cut off in mid-sentance by a soft knock on the glass door of their compartment. Harry shuffled along the red leather seat that lined the deep mahogany walls of their compartment, before standing and twisting the latch of the compartment door, pulling it open a few inches – as Blaise had earlier – to allow him to see out but their awaiting guests not able to see in. Harry opened the door fully after a momet, stepping to the side and allowing the source of the knock entrance into the compartment before closing the door behind them and locking it swiftly.

Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott entered the compartment with hesitation. Draco dropped down into the vacant seat next to Blaise, whilst Theo waited for Harry to move back into his position of the window seat before easing into the comfort of the seat next to him.

"We were beginning to get worried." Stated Harry, a happy smile at being joined by the rest of his friends. "We've been moving for nearly twenty minutes."

Draco sighed irritably. Honestly, Draco looked like hell. He was normally the very picture of aristocratic pure-blood society with his expensive, tailored clothing and slicked back platinum blonde hair and sharp, pointed features. Harry had often heard the girls of their house refer to Draco as having haughty good looks. However that was not the Draco that sat across from Harry. This Draco was thin, much thinner than when they'd finished last term, his normally slicked back hair was messy, tangled and unkempt. His face was, if possible, paler than normal with the addition of deep purple bags that ringed his cold grey eyes.

"Took us this long to wade our way through the river of first years. Honestly, there seem to be more and more every year." Moaned Draco, tilting his head backwards, and closing his eyes.

Harry glanced at Blaise, who was openly staring at Draco, before shifting his gaze to Theo who smiled a sad smile, a smile that made Harry a little uncomfortable. Theodore Nott was a solumn boy with a stickly thin build and a face dominated with large front teeth that gave him a slightly rabbity appearance. His hair was a mousy brown and fell past his shoulders; limp and lifeless. His cheeks adorned by facial hair that grew in patches and had long since been forgotten about.

"You guys ok?" Asked Harry, already knowing the answer. It was a question that he'd asked since the end of their forth year every time one of them had to leave the school to return to their family homes. Being the sons of prominent Death Eaters led to a certain amount of risk. Harry could only imagine what it was like in their homes, especially now the Dark Lord had revealed himself.

"No." Came Draco's honest reply. He was rubbing his eyes tiredly. "The Dark Lord is not pleased with our families." Theo nodded in agreement, though Harry noticed he didn't look anywhere near as bad as Draco did.

"He has taken every knut that the Notts had to our name." Said Theo bitterly. "Well, our family gold. Mine from last year is still in my possession."

Harry couldn't help but feel that Theo's well earned gold from the previous years had only remained in his possession because his father didn't know about it.

"Same with the Malfoy fortune. Everythings gone. Our house...our house is no longer our house." Bemoaned Draco. "My father signed everything over to him from his Ministry cell as payment for his failure."

"I didn't risk staying at my family home." Said Nott quietly. "I got home, packed the essentials and went to stay at our cottage in Norfolk. Didn't receive so much as an Owl of concern from my father, though I suppose he has more pressing concerns."

Theo might not be strongest Wizard or the smartest but nobody could ever knock his sense of self preservation. Theo was just above average in most subjects but he was truly exceptional at potions. Harry had quite often followed Theo's self scribbled notes that filled their yearly potions textbook rather than the actual instructions. Even a top class potioneer like Professor Snape was sometimes left dumbfounded by Theo's genius with ingredients.

"I wasn't that lucky." Said Draco sadly. "The Dark Lord is also demanding more of a...permanent price for my fathers failure." For a moment, Harry thought that Draco was talking about his fathers death. That the price for failing whatever the Dark Lord wanted was to be his life and he almost wished he was right. "The Dark Lord has demanded that I take the mark in place of my father. The Dark Lord wants me to become a Death Eater."

The silence that followed that statement was deafening. There had been many scenarios that had dominated Harry's thought throughout the summer concerning what the ramifications of Voldemort openly announcing his return would mean for his friends. Draco Malfoy being asked to take the mark was not one that he'd ever really considered. It didn't make sense. What could a student offer the Dark Lord?

"Well we can't allow that." Harry said simply. There wasn't really a choice. They'd been best friends, the four of them, since the very beginning of their first year. They'd defied the seventh years and sneaked out after curfew to duel Longbottom, Weasley, Thomas and Finnegan together. They'd proclaimed Malfoy the heir of Slytherin in their second and had been given freedom within their house that normally only the seventh years fought over. In their third year they'd smuggled Harry out and into Hogsmeade to get potions ingredients that normally only Snape could buy so they could supply the fifth and seventh years with a 'confidence boasting' potion for their OWLS and NEWTS. Fourth year they'd branched out into taking bets from all over the school on each tournament task, making more gold than any of them had ever had. Fifth year they'd continued down the same vein, more refined than the fourth year but never the less still as risky, only the betting was on Quidditch and with the addition of the Inquisitors squad, Harry was able to influence more than just his house. They were a team. They all brought something to the table. And without one of them, they simply weren't going to be as effective and could only be considered considerably weaker.

"Too right." Grunted Blaise..

"You don't understand" Disagreed Draco shaking his head.

"Of course we do." Argued Harry passionately and with absolute confidence. "All we need is a plan. A strategy. We have what? Four months? We can get things rolling in four months."

"First you need to do what I did." Stated Nott firmly, well and truly taking the bull by the horns. "Forget Malfoy manor, it's gone. Forget your family gold, that's gone too. If you don't wanna take the path your father has; you need to cut out your family. No owls, no meetings and no contact. You have no family now."

Harry winced at how bluntly Theo put it, but he knew it was true. If Draco didn't want to join the Death Eaters, his father would kill him willingly on Voldemorts orders.

"I guess what Potters been harping on about since second year is true, then. We are family now and all we have is each other." Draco said somewhat sadly before switching his attention to less sombre topics. "So lets talk to business."

And suddenly the conversation had turned. Harry knew that the conversation of Theo and Draco turning the back on their families beliefs wasn't quite over. That they would have to figure things out, that the two of them could be killed for what they where going to do. Things had suddenly taken a much more serious turn. This wasn't dodging Filch, sneaking potions ingredients from Snapes stock cupboard or avoiding the teachers attention. This was putting two of your best friends lives in danger and having to figure out a way to keep them alive. The only plus was that for the next nine months; both of them where safe within the walls of Hogwarts and by the Summer holidays, Harry would be damned if he didn't have something in place to ensure not just Draco and Theo's survival but Blaise's and his own.

"So who still owes us money from last year?" Asked Harry, knowing full well who still owed them, but happy for the change of subject.

"Goldstein and Smith." Answered Blaise straight away. "Oh and Demelza Robbins still owes us for betting against Chang in the final match last year."

"Smith and Goldstein owe us a fair amount of gold between them." Mused Harry thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "You think they'll have the gold waiting for us?"

Draco, Theo and Blaise all snorted at the same time.

"More chance of me riding the giant Squid." Muttered Theo doubtfully. "We haven't a hope of Smith or Goldstein paying us any time soon."

Harry chewed the inside of his cheek. This was the first time somebody hadn't paid up. There first test.

"We can't look weak." Declared Harry forcefully. "If we let them get away with not paying...How long until nobody else pays and we end up making no more gold from bets ever again."

"Agreed." Said Draco firmly. "We have to get our gold somehow. I'll speak to Crabbe and Goyle and we'll handle it."

"Ok...but no mistakes. You keep Crabbe and Goyle on a tight leesh. We can't afford a cock up." Stated Harry seriously before turning his gaze upon Blaise and asking."And Demelza?"

"She's a steady stream of Sickles." Defended Blaise. "She was guzzling Theo's Pepperup potion toward the end of last term like it was butterbeer. We could just have her to do some of the more...risky stuff for a while to pay off her debt?"

"Gold's gold." objected Theo, clearly not liking to trade his potions for anything less than coin. "Those ingredients aren't free."

"How much does she owe?" Asked Draco curiously.

"Seven sickles." Replied Blaise with an almost apologetic gesture of his hands.

"She could owe us a favour." Offered Draco looking between Blaise and Theo. "Never know when we might need an 'in' into Gryffindor. Now the Weasley twins have gone, we've lost our connection there."

It was a sensible thing to do. The Weasley twins and themselves had had somewhat of a mutual interest in making money. They'd sold the smuggled fire-whiskey that Draco had managed to procure for after the Quidditch parties in exchange for Notts help in brewing potions. But they'd fled the school half way through the previous term and left them high and dry. They had nobody in Gryffindor now who they would be willing to trust to help them. Nobody to pass on news or information. And besides it was seven sickles, hardly bank breaking.

"That's a great idea." Acknowledged Harry with a smile. "Blaise you let her know that we'll write the debt off but in exchange we would like to call on her for a favour at some point in the future."

Heads nodded in agreement around the compartment table.

"What are our stocks looking like?" Asked Draco with interest, clearly happy to be talking about anything else than his stressful summer.

"I brewed a lot over the summer." Grinned Theo, revealing his stained teeth. "My second trunk is filled with nothing but vials."

Blaise let out an impressed whistle which caused Theo to almost preen, clearly very proud of how productive he'd been.

"And Gringotts?" Continued Draco, no doubt running through his mental lists.

"Twenty-seven Galleons, sixteen sickles and forty eight knuts." Recounted Blaise immediately.

Draco frowned and Harry could almost hear what he was thinking and he supposed to Draco, that amount of gold – without taking into consideration the four way split of anything deemed 'profits' – seemed rather insignificant. Then, Harry had always been under the opinion that most things looked insignificant to the Malfoy fortune.

"That'll be more than enough to do what we need." Theo said with a toothy smile.

"Agreed." Nodded Draco. "I'll have to disappear into Hogsmeade at some point this week and speak to Phipps. Make the first payment in person."

"You still want to store everything in the room of requirement? Even though Longbottom and his friends know about the room?" Asked Harry doubtfully. He'd be the first to admit that he'd been a little naïve in thinking that they'd been the only people who knew about the 'come and go room'. When Draco had informed him that the inquisitorial squad had figured out were the 'D.A' was meeting, Harry was sure his heart had stopped. That room, as far as Harry and the rest of their little group was concerned, was filled with nothing but crates of Fire-whiskey, vials of pepperup potion and a cauldron bubbling with Notts attempt at liquid luck.

Apparently the room had more uses than as a secret store room.

"I don't like it." Said Theo at once. "Too much risk. If somebody that was in that club sees one of us going in...it won't take long for them to go snooping around."

Theo was right. Up until the last portion of the previous year they had come and go as they pleased in their own personal storeroom but now a good portion of their year knew of the room. It'd done the rounds of school gossip shortly after Umbridge had had the D.A ambushed mid-lesson and Harry had no doubt that the room of requirement would be much more popular this year. Still, Marietta Edgecombe owing Draco had really come in handy for the last Quidditch match of the year.

"We keep everything in our trunks for now." Declared Harry, after some thought. "But we need to find somewhere soon. There must be an old passageway or another abandoned room we could use. We'll just need to look carefully."

Blaise opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a knock on the compartment door. All four of the occupants exchanged glances.

Theo leaned out of his seat, before twisting the latch of compartment door, before wrenching the door open to reveal the figure of Daphne Greengrass, standing with her hands on her hips and looking little bemused at being locked out.

"You know you're the only four that lock their compartment door, it looks really suspicious." Stated Daphne with a smirk.

Daphne was a member of their house and one of the girls in their year. She was, simply put, a very good looking girl. She had shoulder length reddish-brown hair, that was more often than not pulled back into a ponytail that drew attention to her delicate, pale face. Her eyes a bright, vibrant blue that sat beneath well maintained eyebrows. Her nose was small and her lips thin but her face was pretty none the less. She had already changed into her uniform that did not manage to entirely hide Daphnes lean and petite body.

"Just don't want first years asking where the toilets are." Answered Draco smoothly. "What can we do for you, Daph?"

"There's a Professor on board that wants to see you, Zabini and Harry." Answered Daphne casually looking at those she'd named, finishing with a soft smile at Harry. "He's in carriage four in compartment five. I'll see you there in a bit, I'm just going to round up Longbottom."

And with that Daphne turned on her heel, her skirt twirling teasingly, before she almost bounced out of the door frame.

"There's a Professor on the train?" Half asked, half questioned Blaise sounding confused. It confused Harry too. Why would a fully qualified travel on the Hogwarts express? It was a ridiculous train journey that they could save themselves by simply apparating.

"Guess so." Shrugged Harry, standing and shuffling out from his seat as Theo moved and stood by the door. "Wonder what they want?"

"We can't be in trouble. Term hasn't even begun?" Laughed Blaise. "Though, if we are that has to be some sort of record!"

"Oh come on, quicker we get there, the quicker we get back." Urged Harry as he walked out of the compartment and down the corridor quickly followed by Draco and Blaise, leaving Theo alone to occupy their compartment.

* * *

><p>"You must be Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Zabini and of course, you must be !" Welcomed the man who was clearly the Professor. The Professor was an enormously fat, bald, old man who had a barrel like lower belly that was straining desperately against his emerald green waist coat. The sunlight that entered through the compartment windows shone upon his sweaty forehead, allowed Harry to see the prominent gooseberry coloured eyes sat behind small, rectangular gold glasses whilst the bottome portion of his face was dominated by his impressive, pure white, walrus-like moustache. "I am so glad that you all accepted my invitations. I am Professor Slughorn!"<p>

Harry didn't know if he should be relieved or nervous as he glanced to the side and saw Draco's eyes widen with recognition.

"Please, please, take a seat!" Slughorn offered with a wave of his meaty arm. Harry followed Draco and Blaise to a huddle of leather chairs that sat quietly to the side of the compartment, that was about ten times the size of a normal compartment. It was an impressive peice of transfiguration.

Harry cast his eye around the compartment and was pleased to see that the bemused and confused look on the other students who had been gathered mirrored his own. In one corner the Patil twins stood with the youngest Weasley - who Blaise had been admiring earlier. Off to the side was Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe along with a few lower year Hufflepuffs who Harry didn't know by name. Off against the window of the compartment, alone, stood a seventh year Gryffindor who Harry didn't know, who looked chuffed to have been invited as he swirled an amber coloured liquid around his brandy glass – much like his Uncle Vernon used to when he was in a bad mood and thinking.

For a moment, Slughorn stood beside them, like he was about to strike up conversation with the three of them but his attention was instantly captured by two new comers.

"Neville m'boy!" Boomed Slughorn, spinning on his heel instantly, with grace that Harry was surprised a man of Slughorns size could produce. Neville's face fell into a look of acceptance, like he'd expected it, as Slughorn wrapped his tree-trunk like arm around Longbottoms shoulders, before Slughorn guided him into the compartment and began to personally introduce Longbottom to the occupants; beginning with the lone Gryffindor in the corner.

Harry spared a glance to Daphne who stood in the doorway, arms folded and looking pretty annoyed at just being overlooked. Harry doubted Daphne Greengrass had ever been overlooked in her life before.

"Am I missing something?" Asked Harry quietly, leaning into with his friends. "What the hell is going on?"

"That's Horace Slughorn!" Whispered Draco with excitment. "He was the Potions Professor when my father was in school. Taught the Dark Lord himself apprently! My father said he's the greatest Potioneer that has ever lived."

"Theo's gonna be spittin' feathers he didn't get invited!" Chuckled Blaise, shaking his head.

"So what is this?" Asked Harry, gesturing with his hands at the compartment, before looking over his shoulder and seeing Slughorn, a bored looking Longbottom and Cho talking.

"It's the Slug Club." Said Draco, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Professor Slughorn has a certain weakness for..." Draco paused, like he was mulling over the right word to use. "Students who he thinks have the potential for greatness."

"Greatness?" Repeated Harry with a frown.

"Yeah!" Enthused Draco. "Back in my fathers day it was considered quite the honour."

"Why?" asked Harry, confused.

"Dunno." Shrugged Draco. "Maybe he just likes to brag about former students."

A dismissive snort followed Draco's guess. Harry looked over his shoulder to see the beautiful figure of Daphne as she perched herself on the arm of his chair, running a hand through his hair, as she looked at them with mirth in those blue eyes.

"It's so he can mooch of them." Daphne declared with a laugh.

"What?" asked Harry, still feeling a little lost.

"He does this whole thing to make connections." Continued Daphne, crossing her legs and leaning back against the back of the chair. "He plays nicey nice, makes us feel special, so when he asks for a pair of Quidditch tickets or a front row seat to a duel or a big basket of sweets for Halloween...it seems a small price to pay for your favourite old Professor."

Harry looked up at Daphne thoughtfully. That was a very manipulate thing for a Professor to do, something that Harry would have bet his last Galleon that Dumbledore would have frowned heavily upon. But Slughorn must have been teaching at Hogwarts for decades, perhaps even out dating Dumbledore himself. It had obviously never been a problem.

"And how do you know that, Greengrass?" Questioned Blaise sceptically.

"My mother was part of this club when she was in school." Revealed Daphne off-handily. "She used to receive letters of Slughorn every month asking for some of our fanged geraniums."

"Guess its our turn!" Announced Blaise sharply, nodding toward the considerable form of Slughorn walking slowly toward, chatting away to a thoroughly bored looking Neville.

"And I am sure that you know these four!" Announced Slughorn heartly. "This is Daphne Greengrass, this lovely young lady's mother is a very gifted Herbolgist, y'know Neville! Sends me the most wonderful geraniums; Professor Sprout tells me your quite the Herbologist, Neville?"

"I am indeed!"

Suddenly Neville didn't look quite so bored. It was no secret that the Boy-Who-Lived spent more time in the greenhouses than anywhere else. It had always been a rather amusing fact to the other members of Harry's house. Most people loathed Herbology almost as much as Care of Magical Creatures but Longbottom, Longbottom loved it.

"Well perhaps you two should get together sometime? Put your heads together. Sure Professor Sprout could only benefit from such a partnership!"

Neville looked like he was half a syllable from actually doing it. Daphne, however, looked like she'd rather drink water from the lake.

"And off course there's Mr. Zabini." Introduced Slughorn, pointing a sausage like finger at Blaise. "His mother was the most delightfully mischievous women. Though Blaise, I hear that you have inherited her talent more than her mischievous streak."

Blaise didn't react and made no move to acknowledge Neville and Neville didn't try to acknowledge Blaise. The mutual dislike was evident.

"Then there is Mr. Malfoy!" Continued Slughorn, never once losing the enthusiasm from his voice. "I was good friends with your grandfather, young man. Never met a man who could hold a pint of Guinness like Ambraxas. Terrible news when he caught the Pox."

Draco bowed his head in sadness, even though Harry knew for a fact that he'd never met, or even seen a picture of his grandfather. Draco had never gone into details about why his father and grandfather had fallen out in the years prior to Draco's birth. Harry wasn't definite but he was pretty sure that Draco's father had forced the Malfoy family patriarch out of his seat and left the elderly man to die from Dragon pox alone whilst seizing control of the family empire.

"And of course then there is Mr. Potter."

Harry squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as he felt a weighty hand fall upon his shoulder.

"You look so much like your father..." Slughorns voice was sad, filled with grief and nothing like his jovial greeting. "But your eyes...your eyes belong entirely to your mother. She was a favourite of mine, you know? Such a talented Witch...such a shame what happened to them-"

"I'd rather not talk about it, Professor." Said Harry urgently cutting off the professor sharply. He didn't need the world and their mother hearing about just how his parents had suffered.

"Oh!" Said Slughorn, eyes wide and sounding surprised. "Of course, of course."

Slughorn lingered for a few moments more. Looking at Harry with pity which Harry pretended not to see. He hated pity. He didn't it. Didn't want it.

"Now Neville have I ever told you the story about when Gwenog Jones invited me to the Harpies Christmas party?"

Slughorn launched into a very long, very detailed story about the Harpies legendary Christmas party and how Gwenog Jones, a former student of his, had attempted to lead him astray with shot after shot of Bertie botts every flavoured liquor – apparently an adult version of the beans. To their credit – and Nevilles – they all laughed in the correct places and gasped when they should. And Slughorn lapped it up.

The afternoon wore on with more and more anecdotes about illustrious Wizards Slughorn had taught, all of whom had seen the honour in joining the 'Slug Club' – a name that was of course given to it by the students, and not at all by himself – at Hogwarts. Harry, however, could not wait to leave, but saw no way of doing so politely, after all he didn't want to offend a Wizard like Slughorn. Finally the train emerged from yet another long misty stretch and into the red sunset, and Slughorn looked around, blinking in the twilight.

"Good gracious, it's getting dark already! I didn't notice that they'd lit the lamps! You had all better go and change into your robes, all of you. McLaggen, you must drop by and borrow that book on Nogtails!" Announced Slughorn with feigned shock.

One by one the students began to file out of the compartment. Harry, Blaise, Draco and Daphne somehow ended up being at the back of the group. They'd just made the door when Slughorns booming voice called out behind them.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you three!" Harry looked over his shoulder quickly, he couldn't quite get past the feeling that that sounded like a threat. "I'm hearing wonderful things about the three of you and I would be delighted in being able to help my old houses best and brightest."

"We would appreciate that." Smiled Harry, desperately not trying to swallow the lump in his throat, as he bowed his head slightly before leaving the compartment, absently hearing Daphne closing the door behind them.

"Well he certainly loved you three." Stated Daphne with a hint of surprise to her voice. "Best and brightest is a stretch though..."

"Oh shut up Greengrass you're just sore he ignored you in favour of Longbottom!" Snapped Draco, clearly as annoyed as Harry at being kept for hours in there.

"Well wouldn't you be?" Retorted Greengrass angrily s she stood next to Harry, slipping her hand into his. "He's a _Longbottom." _

"We better go and find Theo." Said Blaise as he stretched his long arms over his head and rolled his neck. "He might be worried."

Harry couldn't help but grin. He doubted anybody enjoyed their own company as much as Theo, in fact, sometimes Harry wondered if Theo didn't prefer his own company to them.

"Well I'll leave you to _that._" Said Daphne, a disgusted look on her face. It was well known that she didn't like Theo before looking up at Harry. "Save me a seat for the feast?"

"I would love to but I'm going to have to miss the feast this year." Answered Harry sheepishly, well aware that he'd not actually told her he was missing it. He was disappointed to have to. The feast had always been on of his favourite times of the year; it'd always signified nine months free of his family. What better way of celebrating his freedom than with a feast that would have caused Dudley to become comatose.

"You're missing the feast?" Repeated Daphne like she'd misheard him. She was looking at him completely dumbfounded, dropping his hand. "You love the feast."

"I do." Replied Harry, nodding in agreement. "It's just, some things, they're more important than a decent meal."

"Oooooh" Squealed Daphne, stepping closer to Harry, a giddy look in those beautiful blue eyes as she bounced on the tipz of her toes in excitement. "Like what?"

Harry glanced at Draco before looking to Blaise, both of whom just snickered.

"Hey she's your girlfriend. You have to let her down." Replied Draco with a grin like the Cheshire cat.

"Let me down?"

And suddenly Daphne went from excited to suspicious, hands on her hips and weight shifted to her right leg as her hips cocked.

"I'm not planning a surprise party or anything like that...but I can't tell you any more. You'll like it though, I promise!" Apologised Harry, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

Daphne continued to regard him for a few moments, much to the obvious delight of Blaise and Draco, before stepping very much into his personal space, her forehead resting just under his nose, so that her reddish-brown hair tickles his nose as he looked down at her.

"You had best be right, Mr. Potter!" Daphne said, poking him in the chest with her index finger before grinning impishly up at him, standing on her tip toes and kissing him quickly on the lips before pulling away, her impish grin only widening before spinning on her heel and walking down the carriage corridor, a noticeable sway in her petite hips.

Harry felt Blaise wrap an arm round him before nudging him with his shoulder, Harry removed his eyes from the retreating form of his girlfriends back and turned to look at Blaise, who was grinning like a fool.

" Come on lover-boy! Lets get back to our compartment and find Theo!" Said Blaise happily.

"He won't be missing us once we tell him we've been selected by Professor Slughorn to attend his little club." Continued Draco with amusement. "He'll be sick as a Hippogriff.."

"You think Notts not going to be invited?" Asked Harry sceptically over his shoulder to Draco. "Once Slughorn gets a whiff of Theo's ability with a cauldron, he's not going to be all over him to come to the next one?"

"Fair point." Acknowledged Draco before looking down at his wrist at the expensive, gold watch that adorned his wrist. "We should get ready. We'll be arriving in Hogsmeade in half an hour."


	2. Chapter 2 - Gimme Shelter

_**A/N :- First of all I would like to thank everybody for all the reviews for the first chapter. It's very much appreciated. I've tried hard to work on the speech elements of this chapter as that seemed to be the area most people offered criticism. As before this isn't beta'd and any mistakes are my own. I am working on getting a beta and will definitely think about posting this elsewhere to help make this as polished/tidy as it can be before posting it here. However until then; here is the second chapter of Death before Dishonour. Enjoy and please feel free to leave a review! - SuperNova.**_

_**Chapter Two – Gimme Shelter**_

Harry Potter paused, one foot placed upon the dark black metal step used to get up into the carriage, and he watched Theo standing at the front of the carriage in front of his own. To anybody who didn't know the secret of the Hogwarts carriages, it would simply look like Theodore Nott was talking to himself and patting thin air.

Of course, Harry knew that Theo was simply greeting the Threstral that was about to pull his carriage. It was a ritual Theo he had done every year since starting Hogwarts. That didn't mean that Harry didn't find it a little weird. He couldn't see them, something he was more than a little grateful for and, from the description that Theo had given to him about how they looked, Harry couldn't imagine wanting to ever pet one.

Shaking his head, Harry pulled himself into the carriage and shut the door behind him, taking the last seat. It wasn't long before Daphne, who was sitting beside him, entwined her hand with his before smiling up at him. Harry returned the smile easily, giving her hand a squeeze, before turning his gaze to the couple sitting across from them.

Draco and Pansy did not seem to be getting along. Which was saying something, considering that normally they where pawing at each like dogs in heat. They where sat next to one another, slightly turned away from each other, quite content to stare out of opposite windows. Draco had his arms folded and Pansy was tapping her foot irritatingly against the carriage floor.

Harry looked to Daphne again and raised his eyebrows in question and she barely managed to suppress a smirk that told him that she knew exactly the reason for the unusual tension between the two. Pansy was an attractive girl, the very definition of ugly duckling, she was a little taller than Daphne, and much curvier. Her face had finally grown into the nose that had dominated her face up until the beginning of fifth year, her eyes a deep brown and her face framed by short, chin length brown hair, so dark it was almost black. Harry had often thought that despite her obvious assets that having Pansy as a girlfriend would be a nightmare.

She was – quite proudly - very high maintenance. Draco had often moaned about that very trait to them privately and Harry couldn't blame him. She fussed over him constantly, constantly wanted to be the centre of his attention and when she wasn't, had been known to throw quite the tantrum. Blaise had, in the previous year, during one of Draco and Pansys particularly nasty arguments, asked why Draco was with her and Dracos answer was simple. She might be a pain in the arse, but he loved her. That was about as emotional as Draco had ever been in their presence.

"Did you have a nice summer, Pansy?" Asked Harry, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Pansy turned her dark brown eyes upon him.

"It was ok." Replied Pansy tartly.

The silence developed between the four of them again, and never had Harry been so happy about the carriage ride only being a short trip. As no sooner had the carriage began to move they had came to a stop. Pansy wasted no time in opening the carriage door and climbing, gracefully, down the step and out into the cold Scottish night, waiting expectantly outside the carriage, arms cross under her breasts and foot still tapping impatiently.

"Excuse me, boys." Said Daphne cheerfully. "I think Pansy is waiting for me! "

She moved past them both, pausing briefly to give Harry a kiss on the cheek, before climbing out of the carriage. Harry watched her link arms with Pansy and begin the walk into the castle, joining the mass exodus of the other carriages. Pansy wasting no time in launching in to what was clearly a very passionate and theatrical bitch about Draco and all his faults.

"Bloody women." Sighed Draco, running a hand through his hair.

"What's got her knickers in a twist?" Asked Harry over his shoulder as he climbed out of the carriage. He cast a look around as he waited for Draco. The castle loomed as impressively as ever behind the river of students that where meandering their way into the castle, through the large oak doors and into the great hall.

"She's upset that I didn't send her many owls over the summer." Stated Draco glumly, appearing beside him. "Honestly, like I didn't have more important things going on!"

Harry winced.

"For Merlins sake, don't tell her that!" Urged Harry, shaking his head in dismay, imaging the raging nightmare Pansy would become if Draco told her that some things were more important than her.

"I haven't! I aren't completely stupid!" Said Draco. "How do you get away with it with Daphne? She never gets pissy and you _never _mail her over the summer!"

Harry smiled as they slotted into the shuffling crowd of Hogwarts students and began to walk toward the castle. He didn't mail Daphne over the summer, he didn't mail anybody, he'd never had the gold to afford his own owl and after the first few attempts that his friends had made to write to him during the summer after their first year, he'd simply requested that they didn't bother. As nice a thought as it was, it simply wasn't worth the grief he'd received from his Uncle and Aunt.

So from late may to the beginning of September, Harry Potter went off the grid from the Wizarding world.

"Daphne understands why I can't mail her." Answered Harry. "I just told her the truth."

Draco turned to look at him, those pale – barely there – eyebrows raising high onto his forehead, the expression on his face clearly saying that he doubted that last statement.

"Ok." Admitted Harry with a smile. "I told her some of the truth! But she understood."

"So you're saying I should tell her about -" Draco stopped short of saying the actual reason for why he hadn't written, he simply tapped his left forearm with his right index and middle fingers whilst giving Harry a knowing look.

"Well...No." Admitted Harry. "Maybe not that, but just tell her..." Harry trailed off, just how did you explain to your girlfriend that the Dark Lord wanted to brand you as his follower, without actually telling her? "A few half truths never hurt anybody. That or you could just buy her some flowers and she'll forget all about it."

"I guess." Grunted Draco not sounding convinced.

They walked the last few metres to the castle door in silence. Harry looked off to the side, just past the castle to see the hundred or so tiny boats beginning their trek across the Black Lake, the tiny lanterns that sat at the front of the boats making it look like the edge of the lake itself was on fire. Harry hoped that the first years truly took everything in that little boat trip had to take in; if Harry had a choice, he'd take that boat trip every year.

They followed the herd into the castle, passing the ever-grouchy looking Angus Filch and his grubby looking cat, that seemed to be surveying every student that walked past for any slight sign of nuisance. Harry had half expected for Filch to be wearing a relieved expression upon on his sour face, no doubt the lack of Weasley twins this year would almost cut his work load in half.

"I'm going to head to the common room." Said Harry, breaking the silence and drawing Draco's attention. Draco was regarding him suspiciously.

"What have you got planned?" Asked Draco in a hushed tone.

"Whatever happens when you get back from the feast..." Harry paused, leaning in closer to Draco before saying so only Draco could hear. "Make a move."

Before Draco could even begin to reply, Harry had split from the crowd and began his walk to the dungeon. When Harry was in his first year, he'd often wished that the Slytherin common room had been somewhere a little closer to all the class rooms but now, he'd quite gotten used to it being out of the way.

The walk down to the dungeon was as quiet as Harry had expected. Every student in the castle was currently awaiting the arrival of the new first years; even the ghosts and Peeves where conspicuous by their absence. Every now and then a painting would shout their 'hellos' or question why he was walking down the corridors and staircases instead of being in the great hall but Harry ignored them and continued his walk.

Years of navigating the hallways of Hogwarts amidst the hoards of students on a daily basis for five years – as well as more than a few night time excursions – allowed Harry to find his way to standing in front of the secret entrance to his common room in no time at all.

"Moke."

The stone wall in front of him shuddered. Dust poured out, like the very wall itself was crying, as the large stone slabs that made it up, began to rearrange themselves much like the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron did, before reorganising themselves into a doorway that opened itself into a narrow tunnel. Harry wasted no time in walking through the entrance, the stones instantly beginning to make up the stone wall again the very second he stepped through the threshold, concealing the common room from view once more.

The Slytherin common room was essentially a dungeon, lit with greenish lamps and filled proudly with furniture that was a mixture of black and dark green tuffled couches, armchairs and stools that sat immaculately in the common room, untouched by any student for months, whilst dark wooden cupboards sat in the far right hand corner of the room. There was a faint smell of damp that, after years of living here, Harry had simply learnt to tuned out, a hazard of being partially under the lake. Large windows allowed students to peer out into the vast murky depths of the lake, sometimes granting them a look at Giant Squid that most students would never get to see or even a look at some of the more interesting secrets the lake held. It still, to this day, remained the most grand room that Harry had ever seen.

Harry took out his wand as he walked across the common room, flicking it casually and causing the giant fireplace, that sat between the pair of doors that belonged to the male and female dorms, to erupt into life. It would take a while to heat the naturally chilly common room but Harry had nothing but time.

Harry took a seat in one of the many plush leather armchairs, content to look at the many ancient tapestries that decorated the stone walls, many depicting Merlin – Slytherins most famous son - himself, whilst he thought over his plan. He'd been thinking about it since he'd arrived back at Number four Privet Drive, perhaps even as early as discovering the D.A's use of the room of requirement but he'd never really committed to the idea until Draco divulged his predicament on the express. They needed somewhere to plan. Somewhere they could talk openly, without having to worrying of somebody over hearing them.

Harry wasn't sure how it worked in the other houses, honestly he didn't really care, but in Slytherin house if the Head boy and Head girl were chosen from one of the other houses, then the quarters that where normally reserved for them, became available and where fair-game.

Normally, as was the tradition, it became a little bit of a free for all between the seventh years to see who could trade, barter or bully there way into the private dorms. For the past five years it had provided first day entertainment for Harry and his friends as they shared amusement – and disbelief – at some of the trades being offered just for a private room. Of course, now Harry understood their true value.

This year, however, was going to be different from those that had past.

The difference this year was that Harry, as usual, was willing to sacrifice his needs for the greater good of the group. Whilst the seventh years where stuffing their faces with every delight imaginable, Harry had chosen to forgo the first proper meal he would have had since the leaving feast, to secure those rooms for himself and his friends. Harry had thought of a few different methods that he could use to secure them. At first, he'd thought about offering whoever eventually won them a monthly allowance to use them. Then he'd thought of duelling for them. Both ideas had quickly been dismissed.

He needed that gold as badly as the others and couldn't afford to waste it on renting a room, no matter how handy it was. Duelling wasn't a viable option either. Oh, he didn't doubt he could beat most – if not all – the seventh years but it would attract more attention from Snape than he wanted and could, at worse, end up with a trip to the Hospital wing.

No, there was a better way to secure those rooms. He would wait. In the shadows, never even a consideration for the seventh years. He'd let the seventh years do what they wanted to do and sort it out amongst themselves. Then he'd strike.

Harry rose from his seat and moved toward a tapestry of the great Merlin standing fearlessly in front of some long dead species of Dragon. Harry tapped the tapestry gently with the tip of his wand and it fluttered slightly before flickering. Harry watched pensively, as the tapestry disappeared and a rather plain, dark wood door with a shiny gold handle appeared in its place. Harry barely suppressed a smile and fought with the internal urge to open the door and have a look inside, the curiosity of what the private chambers looked like was killing him, but he knew that if he stepped foot through the threshold, the wards would keyed to him.

Harry tapped the door handle with the end of his wand, right in the centre, before circling it clockwise once and then tapping the top of the gold handle. Nothing happened and for a moment, Harry feared it hadn't worked. He'd never actually attempted this jinx. He'd read about it and understood the mechanics but he'd never had the need to use it. Harry tentatively reached out with a finger, touching the door handle for a split second before quickly withdrawing it with a hiss, the door handle was piping hot. Anybody who went to open the door would be in some serious pain.

Harry took a moment to admire his work before drawing his wand into an arc shape, roughly encasing the door within it. These jinxes didn't need to be pretty or deadly, they needed to be effective in warning off whoever tried to open it. Harry had no doubt that once the unfortunate seventh year realised they couldn't open it by hand; they'd try to force there way in, not willing to accept defeat. Harry had to cover all bases to ensure victory.

* * *

><p>It was an hour and a half before the dungeon wall was forced to rearrange itself and allow the rest of Slytherins entrance to the common room. Harry had long since finished his work and had taken up residence in his favourite seat, waiting patiently for his friends to arrive, to fill the rest of the seating around him and killing the time between by reading through that mornings edition of the Daily Prophet. The common room soon filled up with the lower years rushing around, keen to unpack their things and continue their gossiping and story telling about what they got up to over the summer.<p>

It wasn't long before Draco, Theo and Blaise walked through the door and made a bee-line toward him and the cluster of chairs that he'd 'reserved' for them. Draco plopped down on the couch with little grace whilst Blaise sat next to him and Theo rounded out the circle of chairs next to Harry.

"Still not made up with Pansy." Asked Harry curiously.

"She wouldn't even pass him the potatoes." Answered Blaise with amusement. "It's like he doesn't exist to her."

"She is pretty pissed." Said Theo.

Draco didn't answer or say anything. He just groaned and seemed to sink deeper into the coach.

"Where is she?" asked Harry.

"She's helping Astoria and Daphne herd the first years here without losing any of them." Replied Theo with a shrug.

"Good batch this year?"

"Not bad." Answered Blaise with a nod of appreciation. "A few less than last year but still more than Ravenclaw."

The annual gasp of awe indicated that Astoria Greengrass – newly appointed fifth year prefect – had managed to get the first years to the Dungeon in one piece. Harry turned around in his chair, watching as the young carbon copy of Daphne spoke to the first years, given them the mandatory speech that all the first years received from the prefects. Daphne was making her way toward them with Pansy a few paces behind her, still looking as glum as she had done in the carriage.

"You missed a hell of a feast!" Announced Daphne as she sat down on his lap. "Might be the best one yet!"

Harry groaned at his girlfriends teasing. He'd spent a large part of the last forty five minutes trying not to think about the feast.

"Don't say that!" Pleaded Harry, closing his eyes and trying not to think about the mountains of mash potato, layer upon layer of cauliflower cheese or the plates full of every different type of meat.

"Not my fault you chose to miss the feast!" said Daphne. "Though, I suppose if you speak to me nicely...you could persuade your wonderful, beautiful girlfriend to go for a trip to the kitchens tonight for a midnight snack?"

Harry had no idea where she put it all. Daphne was a tiny dot of a women but she ate like a horse! He had seen her eat platefuls of food that made even Goyle blanch. Though, the idea of going to the kitchens was definitely appealing. His stomach was beginning to forget about the pumpkin pasty he'd bought on the train.

"Sounds like a brilliant idea, Daph!" Exclaimed Harry, not able to contain the excitement from his voice. "Any interesting announcements?"

A glance was shared between his three friends – Pansy was sitting beside Draco, a good distance still beside them, staring off into space and ignoring all of them, although she was still managing to shoot Draco meaningful glances, clearly expecting some sort of show of affection. Harry doubted Draco had even noticed her.

"Professor Slughorn -"

"Still can't believe you got to meet him!" Interrupted Theo.

"Stop sulking Theo. He'll be teaching you potions all year!" said Blaise.

It hadn't come as a huge surprise to Harry that Slughorn was teaching potions, not after what Draco had told him during their little visit to the Slug club. However it raised questions.

"And Snape?" asked Harry curiously.

"Snapes the new defence against the dark arts professor." Answered Daphne. "Be nice to have a competent teacher this year!"

It was no secret within their little circle that Daphne hadn't been the biggest fan of the previous professors. She'd had no real problem with Quirrell, she'd despised Lockhart for not teaching them anything useful, quite liked Lupin, feared Moody and loathed Umbridges methods more than she had actually hated the women.

"Anything Snape doesn't know about the dark arts, isn't worth knowing." Stated Draco. "We should learn loads this year."

"All degrees that the ministry enforced last year have been rescinded." Theo told him. "And Dumbledore has decided to turn Longbottoms little club into an official Hogwarts 'club'."

That wasn't surprising. With Voldemort back it was no surprise that Dumbledore was putting an emphasise on self-defence.

"Longbottoms teaching it?"

"Nope!" Said Daphne happily. "Dumbledore himself is teaching it!"

That was interesting. Albus Dumbledore hadn't actively taught a lesson since he'd assumed the role of headmaster. Everybody knew the legends that surrounded Dumbledore . The famous duels, the feats of magic that would never be duplicated and even the lessons that he taught fifty years ago where still regarded with awe. The chance to be taught by Dumbledore wouldn't be passed up by many.

Harry was about to reply when the figure of Adrian Pucey entered the common room, spearheading the contingent of seventh years. Adrian Pucey was of average height, medium build with short black hair and heavy features. His brow was large and seemed to dwarf his beady brown eyes whilst his jaw was possibly his strongest feature. This was Adrians second attempt at his seventh year but he didn't seem embarrassed by it. In fact, Adrian walked into the common room like the dog with the biggest bone in the yard. Whilst the previous year he'd been somewhat lost in the shuffle amongst the likes of Marcus Flint, Warrington and Urquhart, this year it seemed Pucey fancied himself the main man and the rest of the sevenths years seemed happy for him to have that title.

Harry frowned. He hadn't expected this. They where normally already squabbling.

Harry watched carefully, tuning out Daphne and Blaises chit chat, as Pucey made his way toward the tapestry of Merlin standing in front of the dragon. Pucey took out his wand with an extravagant flourish.

"And just think of the after hours parties we can have!" Exclaimed Pucey to two seventh year witches who flanked him. Terrence Higgs was stood, looking over Puceys shoulder eagerly. "Last year Warrington would throw one every Saturday! Sometimes even Sunday! I attended more lessons hungover than I can count!"

Harry couldn't help but feel that that was probably the reason as to why Pucey had needed to retake his final year. A lesson he clearly hadn't learnt.

Harry watched as Pucey tapped the tapestry exactly as he had done earlier. There was a cocky arrogance to the way Pucey was acting. It was the type of arrogance that only came about with a sure thing. He'd clearly spent a lot of time working the charm offensive with his new year mates either over the summer or perhaps even a little before that. You don't install yourself as the leader of an entire year group in the duration of the train journey.

The door to the Headboy and Headgirls quarters appeared in place of the tapestry to gasps of excitement from the first years. Harry looked around and could see most conversation between groups of friends had stopped, everybody in the common room was watching the seventh years, waiting for something to happen. Normally by this point in the evening there had been several curses, several attempts to gain favour and even a few suggestive whispers.

Pucey preened under the gaze of his house mates, puffing his chest out like a peacock and soaking in every bodies undivided attention. Harry chanced a glance at Draco but Draco was watching Pucey and only Pucey with interest.

"I suppose I will have to get used to sleeping on my own!" Sighed Pucey, not sounding like it would be too much of a problem for him. Harry absently noted that their little group had been joined by both Crabbe and Goyle – who stood behind Draco – and Tracy Davis who whispered quietly to Pansy but never once taking her eyes off the scene before her.

Pucey reached out and seized the door handle and tried to twist it open. For a second nothing happened and Harry once again wondered if the jinx had perhaps worn off, but Puceys face suddenly contorted into a frown before his eyes bulged and a feint sizzling sound echoed through the common room. Pucey dropped his hand quickly, hissing through his gritted teeth as he shook his right hand rapidly as if to cool it down.

"Son of a bitch!"

Pucey had doubled over, his good hand grabbing his not so good one as he gingerly flexed his fingers, wincing in pain the entire time. The two witches who he'd been bragging too were at his side instantly, fawning over him.

"Move!" Demanded Pucey angrily. His normally waxy face flushing red with embarrassment as he straightened himself and tried to hide the pain he was in. He gave a pained smile to Higgs before reaching for the door handle again. He barely touched it this time before he withdrew his hand and looked at the door suspiciously.

"Unlock the door, Higgs!"

Higgs almost fell over himself to open it, fumbling his wand before jabbing it forward, pointing it at the door and saying, "Alohamora!"

The unlocking charm, nicknamed 'a thiefs bestfriend', would open any door it was tested upon, at least in theory. The lock didn't budge an inch. There was no click of the latch. Nothing. The door just remained exactly how it had been.

Harry could feel Draco's eyes upon him, Daphnes too but Harry didn't tear his eyes way from the seventh years.

"Try again!" Pucey ordered. His face was now burning a crimson red as he continued to favour his right hand.

"Alohamora!" Cried Higgs to the same result as before. Higgs turned to Pucey and said. "It's not opening! It's been charmed to stay locked, I reckon!"

Harry could almost see the gears turning inside Puceys head. Pucey turned around and looked at his group of newly found friends suspiciously, like he was weighing up with one of them was the snake who'd betrayed him but after a few seconds a forced grin broke across the elder boys face as he turned to look at all those gathered in the common room, like a gladiator surviving the crowd.

"Well I guess I'll just have to blast the door off then hadn't I? Keep whatever is inside as mine...after all it's in my quarters!" Yelled Pucey to no one in particular, like he was expecting somebody to throw themselves forward, admit to this crime, and beg for their stuff. Of course, nobody did.

Pucey pulled his wand out from the back pocket of his trousers, holding it feebly in his hand, the pressure of the wooden wand gripped in the raw and sensitive palm of his hand obviously causing him no small amount of pain.

Pucey flicked his wand upwards before bringing it down in a sharp left diagonal motion, muttering something under his breath that vaguely sounding like the breaking charm.

Suddenly, no sooner had his wand stopped moving, Pucey was sent flying backwards across the room, crashing through a wooden coffee table that buckled instantly under Puceys weight, leaving Pucey laying in a heap on the floor surrounded by wooden shrapnel.

Stunned silence swept through the common room. Higgs and the rest of the seventh years looked from the unmoving form of Pucey to the door before taking a couple of steps away from the door cautiously. Pucey groaned in pain, his breathing raspy and ragged as he started to stir.

Draco was already moving when Harry looked over to him. Harry watched, pleased, that Draco had followed his earlier instruction. Draco pushed himself up from couch and began walking out of their cul-de-sac of chairs with the same cocky arrogance that Pucey himself had sauntered into the common room with and into the open space in front of the door.

"I think you should probably take Pucey up to your dorm." Half stated, half ordered Draco as he came to a stop a few feet away from Higgs and the rest of the seventh years. Harry watched as Draco slowly turned his gaze away from Higgs before looking at the stirring figure of Adrian Pucey, still laying amongst the wreckage of what had been the wooden coffee table.

Higgs was staring at Draco in disbelief but he didn't quite say anything, his mouth moving wordlessly for a few seconds.

"This was you?" Asked Terrance, like he didn't quite comprehend what he was saying.

Draco didn't answer and Harry barely suppressed the impressed look that was threatening to break out across his face. Draco was handling this better than he could have dreamed. Draco was standing a few feet from the throng of seventh years calmly, showing no fear for the consequences that could potentially come back to bite him in the arse.

"You have no right to those rooms!" Said Higgs to murmurs of agreement from the seventh years that stood behind him.

Draco snorted dismissively in reply.

"It doesn't matter." Said Draco calmly. "The rooms belong to me now."

"You aren't a seventh year, Malfoy!" Shouted a high pitched, squeaky feminine voice from somewhere behind Terrance Higgs.

"And?"

Dracos cool and even reply seemed to kill any forth coming arguments dead. There was a tense moment between the Seventh years and Draco and the entire common room waited with baited breath to see what would happen next between them. Harry got the distinct impression that more than a few would be hoping for wands to be drawn. That, however, was never going to happen. Terrance Higgs was many things but brave was definitely not one of them.

Terrance Higgs had always, ever since Harry had first became aware of him, seemed to cling to the coat tails of bigger, stronger Wizards. He'd normally stood on the edge of friendship circles of the older years, chipping in here and there with a joke and always siding with the leaders opinion. He was remarkable for being unremarkable. A footnote attached to other people chapters.

This time though he'd made a mistake and he was beginning to realise it, no doubt.

Harry tore his eyes away from Draco to focus on his friends. Blaise and Theo where sat on the edge of their seats, both had their hands on their wands, ready for action at the slightest hint of trouble. Pansy was watching the scene with worry whilst Tracy Davis just looked eager to see the fight. Crabbe and Goyle now stood behind Theo, flanking the smaller boy, waiting for Harry to give them the signal to step in.

Higgs took a step backwards, the heel of his boot _clanking_ against the cold stone of the common room floor, towards Pucey. Higgs never took his eyes from Draco, like he expected Draco to strike the moment his back was turned.

Harry watched as Higgs reached down and grasped Pucey by the forearm and pulled the older boy to his feet. Pucey winced as and wrapped his free arm around his ribs. Pucey never looked to Draco, never looked toward his fellow seventh years...he just walked slowly, with a slight limp, toward the door that led to the male dorms – his tail firmly between his legs – as he lent on Higgs for support.

The rest of the seventh years shared a glance between them, murmuring in disappointment – they had clearly been expecting to break in the new term in style – before they too, slowly began to disperse. None of them deciding it was worth a fight. It wasn't long before the rest of the common room returned to their own business.

Draco returned to his seat and nodded to Harry.

"Right girls, give us a little space would you?" Said Blaise, clapping his hands together and jerking his head to the side.

Pansy huffed at being dismissed but not before she leant over and gave Draco a chaste kiss that clearly said he was at least, partially, on his way to being forgiven – the addition of new private quarters no doubt playing a large part in this forgiveness. Tracy got up and followed her, having never said a word to anybody but Pansy, which wasn't entirely surprising as she had always been a quiet, shy girl.

Harry expected Daphne to follow suit but she didn't. She only turned herself sideways on his lap, so that she was sitting across him, her deceptively long legs handing over the edge of the armchairs arm.

"I don't quite understand how I'm supposed to enjoy Draco having private quarters?" Whispered Daphne teasingly as she leant forward, her lips right beside his ear and causing a shiver to run down his spine as her breath tickled the side of his neck. "Do you want me to start sleeping with Draco?"

"Draco needed a win." Whispered Harry in reply so only she could hear him. "Besides, I thought you enjoyed the challenge of sneaking into the dorm?"

Daphne reared back with a over dramatic thoughtful look on her face. He'd seriously considered taking the room for himself. It would have been easy. All he'd have had to do was walk through the threshold of the room and have the wards key to his magic. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't considered it but Draco needed a boast and it served them to have Draco take them.

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see if I enjoy the challenge of sneaking in anymore!"

With that said, Daphne slid of his lap tantalisingly slowly, before walking after Pansy and Tracy, stopping only at the door to her own dorm to look over her shoulder and blow him a kiss before disappearing into her dorm. As Daphne disappeared through the door, Harry returned his attention back to the group.

"Crabbe, Goyle why don't you go and grab Dracos trunk." Said Harry, looking at the two hulking figures that still stood behind the couch which Theo and Draco were sat on. Both boys grunted and began toward the sixth year dormitories, talking between themselves. When they were out of earshot, Harry nodded.

"Not that I'm complaining, but an explanation would be nice." Requested Draco.

"It ticked most of the boxes." Replied Harry. "With the room of requirement no longer a consideration..."

"Why Draco?" Asked Blaise. "It was your idea. Why not take them yourself?"

"Everybody outside of Slytherin already thinks Draco runs everything that happens in this house," Harry said calmly, "now the Slytherins think it too."

"Clever." Acknowledged Theo. "You still could have told us, though. We could have helped!"

Harry had considered it. He really had. When they'd left Slughorns little tea party and he was pretty certain that this was the route he was going, he'd considered telling them his plan during the final stages of the train journey but he'd decided against it. The four of them missing from the feast would have attracted to much attention from the others in their house; no matter how much they tried, Draco Malfoy was a fairly well known and easily seen character.

"It would have drawn to much attention." Dismissed Harry. "Better that one of us slipped away unnoticed." Theo didn't argue with that. Harry knew that Theo could see the reasoning for it.

Crabbe and Goyle arrived back into the common room carrying Draco's trunk between them. Quite, why they didn't consider levitating it, Harry didn't know, although to be honest Harry shouldn't have been surprised. Crabbe and Goyle were probably the worst students in sixth year, their grades had always been considerably worse than anybody else in their year. Despite their lack of intelligence and their lack of talent they more than made up for it in sheer size. Their hulking presence was intimidating and their ability to follows orders was perhaps the pairs most redeeming quality.

"Perhaps we should move into your new quarters Draco?" Suggested Harry. "And we can continue our conversation from the train?"

Harry stood, an action mirrored by the others, before moving over to the door. Harry put his hand into his pocket, grasping his wand before _willing _the spells he'd cast on the door to disperse. Draco went first, as he should have, through the door and was quickly followed by Blaise, Theo and Harry which left Crabbe and Goyle dragging up the rear.

The private quarters were exactly what Harry expected. A short corridor, decorated much in the same vein as the rest of the Slythern common room, before it opened up into a lounge that was like a miniature version of the common room, though this room was circular. The furniture was the same style with the same black and green trim, the room was decorated with similar tapestries – though this time depicting Salazar himself – with one large, bay like, window that revealed the surrounding depths of the lake. There where two more doors on opposite sides of the room that Harry assumed were supposed to be for the Head girl and Head boy.

Blaise and Theo wasted no time before making themselves comfortable. Draco joined them in taking a seat in one of the armchairs, which left Harry with a seat next to Blaise. Crabbe and Goyle put Dracos trunk down against the stone wall and lingering awkwardly just off to the side.

"Crabbe, Goyle...make sure that nobody outside disturbs us." Ordered Harry with a thankful nod.

The two boys nodded and walked back along the corridor. Harry waited until he heard the door close behind them to start talking.

"I think this place could be very good for us." Stated Harry, looking around the room, already mentally planning on filling the stone walls with charts filled with odds, player form and possible injuries. He'd already mentally moved Theo's cauldron into the far left hand corner of the room and could envision the crates of 'acquired' fire-whiskey stacked up underneath the window.

"Good for us?" Repeated Blaise in awe. "This place is _fucking _amazing! We should have made a move for this place years ago!"

"We just got to make sure that nobody gets curious enough to stick one of those bloody ears under the door." Said Theo with a shake of his head.

Harry had never begrudged the Weasley twins how they made their money. In truth, how they'd made their money was probably less risky than how he made his own but with that one product, the Weasley twins had made their lives infinitely more difficult. It hadn't been so bad last year – the twins limited due to the same problems that they faced; lack of storage space, supply and gold. This year was different though, they had found a backer and had wasted no time in opening up a shop in Diagon Alley. They'd gone legit but in doing so; every one of their products had been made available to anybody with enough money and a mischievous streak.

Those bloody ears where going to be everywhere. Secrets were hard enough to keep within the walls of Hogwarts before, now, Harry had the suspicion that they were going to even harder to keep.

"I swear if I could go back in time..."

Blaise let the threat linger, nothing else needed to be said because Harry was certain that everybody in the room felt the same.

"There's a lot of things we'd all do differently." Said Harry, leaning forward in his chair. "This year, we can't afford mistakes. We have to be flawless on our exercution." Everybody nodded in agreement. "We need enough gold to be able to disappear at the drop of a wand if everything goes brooms up."

"So what do you want us to do?" Asked Theo, straight to the point.

"We need to keep all our areas locked down before we explore any new opportunities." Explained Harry. "Theo you keep turning out the pepper-up potion, we need it, it's a steady flow sickles. Blaise we'll need you at every Quidditch try-out, practice and maybe use some of those ears to eavesdrop team meetings."

"That's a lot of work." Said Blaise, sounding sceptical.

"It is." Agreed Harry. "But Quidditch was a big earner for us last year. Especially the last game. With the right information we could make a killing on every game this year."

"Harry is right." Agreed Draco. "Gryffindor will have almost an entirely new team this year after the twins, Johnson and Spinnet have finished. Any information on them and we could stack the odds almost entirely in our favour."

"Don't forget Hufflepuff will have a new keeper as well." Pointed out Theo.

"See?" Said Harry to Blaise. "We need that information."

"Alright." Agreed Blaise. "I'll get on it. First match isn't until mid october anyway, plenty of time for us to get a idea of the teams."

"What about me?" Asked Draco curiously.

"You said on the train you'd been in contact with Phipps? We'll need that pipeline, I think with the news as it is at the minute...our fellow students will be looking for any excuse to party." Said Harry confidently. "And they'll supplying with the finer things. Use the gold in the vault to stockpile."

"And what about you?" Asked Theo curiously. There wasn't any hint of accusation in his tone; no suggestion that he wasn't pulling his weight. Just a genuine curiosity as to what Harry would be focusing on.

"I'll be getting the money we are owed."

"I thought you wanted me in charge of that?" Asked Draco with a furrowed brow.

"I did." Confirmed Harry. "But it wouldn't look good for the prince of Slytherin to be doing his own dirty work."

Draco closed his eyes at hearing that nickname, trying to block it out. He'd hated it ever since the entire school had thought him to be the 'heir of Slytherin'. Harry couldn't understand why. It had served a purpose then and would this coming year.

"You know I hate that nickname!" Moaned Draco.

"Doesn't matter." Harry said with a smirk. "Once one of those little first years whispers about you putting Pucey in his place, the whole school will be whispering it again."

Draco looked less than pleased at the possibility as his pale, pointed face formed into a grimace at the idea of those whispers dogging him everywhere he went.

"You sure that's a good thing?" Questioned Blaise. "We've spent years trying to avoid the spotlight and now you're putting Draco firmly under it?"

It was a fair point. They'd operated in the utmost secrecy since they had started. Everything from late night meetings in a deserted common room, to the cold and windy afternoons spent plotting in the empty Quidditch stands and more than a few Saturday nights spent huddled around Theos cauldron trying desperately to make liquid luck.

"It's different this year." Explained Harry. "The focus is on keeping everybody within the castle safe. The focus is on Longbottom and Voldemort. If anything, we have more wriggle room this year because of the distrations. If we are going to make gold, serious gold, this year we need people to respect us. Draco taking these rooms from a seventh year without saying so much as a spell? It gives us that respect."

"And if it draws the wrong type of attention?" Continued Blaise. "You can't deny it's a risk."

Harry couldn't. It was a calculated risk but a risk never the less but people already whispered about Dracos alliances and they had done since the beginning. However, you can't punish somebody based on rumours. As long as they didn't get sloppy, become complacent and, most importantly, they didn't get caught. They would be fine.

"Everything we do is a risk." Stated Harry simply. "We could get caught at any moment; have our wands snapped, be expelled and left with nothing. We all have our reasons for needing the gold and that is what makes us different! We see the risk, run the odds and come out rich!"

"Have you been reading my journal?" Asked Theo sharply with a amused smile showing off his large crooked teeth. "That's a direct quote!"

"You keep a journal?" Asked Blaise with disbelief..

"No of course not!" Snapped Theo. "Do I looked like some soppy Lockhart fan?"

"Well..." Said Harry trailing off. "I think its the hair..."

Theo mumbled something under his breath that did not sound entirely polite.

"Right, that's enough business for tonight." Announced Harry with a clap of his hands. "I don't know about any of you, but I've got a beautiful brunette somewhere in this dungeon that I haven't seen for the entire summer!"

Harry got up from his seat, clapped Draco on the shoulder before leaving the living room of Dracos new common room and walking down the corridor. Harry vaguely heard Blaise joking with Theo about his hair and not having anybody to keep him warm at night.

Harry opened the door and found that the common room was mostly empty, save for a handful of excited first years, a lonely looking fifth year and Crabbe and Goyle, stood loyally either side of the door, arms folded and looking menacing. It was impressive.

"You two." Said Harry, gesturing to both of them. "We'll be having a conversation tomorrow."

Crabbe and Goyle shared – what Harry supposed – was an inquisitive look between themselves before Goyle turned toward him. Goyle was slightly smaller than Crabbe which wasn't hard. He was a huge, mountain of a boy none the less with a shaved head, crooked nose and acne scarring covering his face. His neck was thicker than most peoples thighs and his robes struggled to contain his size.

"We are?"

"We are." Replied Harry firmly. "It's time to bring two you into the fold."


	3. Chapter 3 - Peace of Mind

A/N:- First of all I would like to thank everyone who reviewed so far. I've read each and every one of them and taken the comments on board. I'm working on my dialogue and using the word said more! I'm still looking for a beta (though getting a little lost among the sea of Betas on this site) but its hard to know your choosing a good one with so little options to narrow the field so if anybody can point me in the right direction i'd be thankful. So as always the mistakes here are mine and mine alone. Hopefully you'll enjoy chapter 3.

**Chapter 3 – Peace of Mind.**

Harry woke the instant his pillow started vibrating, he reached underneath touching his wand with the tips of his fingers before dropping his head back onto the plush pillow, the very moment it ceased with a content sigh. Harry stretched; enjoying the feeling of relief that danced down his spine as his back arched and the tips of his toes brushed the very edges of his duvet.

Harry pushed himself upwards into a sitting position causing the emerald green sheets - that decorated all the beds in Slytherin house – to pool around his waist, exposing his bare chest to the cold morning air. The warmth of having Daphne by his side having disappeared at some point, no doubt to avoid the lecherous stares of his dorm-mates, seeking comfort in her shower in her own bathroom. Harry had known that her jibe about not visiting him was nothing more than an empty threat. She'd wriggled her way under his covers at some point in the early hours and Harry was reminded of exactly why he'd missed her so much during the summer.

Running a hand through his hair, Harry span so that his feet were also out of the covers, hovering above the cold stone floor for a moment before placing them firmly down onto the cold stone. Harry walked easily to the bathroom, dressed only in his boxers – modesty having long since vanished after spending six years in a dorm with the same group of lads. Nobody else was up yet. The sounds of Crabbe and Goyle snoring, oddly in sync, echoed through the room. Draco's bed sitting empty and untouched, the curtains not drawn and covers still pristinely made.

The bathroom was simple. Seven shower stalls lined up against the far wall as you entered through the door, a simple bath tub sitting under the window, that was no where near as grand as the one the prefects shared. Three sinks sat opposite the bath, large spotlessly clean mirrors sat above each one and each boys wash kit sat beneath a mirror – two to a sink. Harry dropped his boxers before walking into 'his' shower stall – the hot water hitting his body the moment he stood under the shower head – enjoying the feeling of the water running down his body.

It didn't take Harry long to shower. He wasn't one for spending hours in the shower or bath. He left that to Blaise, who seemed to come out the bathroom a completely different person to the one who went in. It'd been barely ten minutes before Harry was walking out of the shower, dripping with water, hair slicked backwards and out of his face – actually looking tamer than usual and darker than ever – as he stopped in front of the sink and mirror that he and Blaise shared.

Harry ran the tap and filled the the sink with hot water, unzipping his wash bag, he pulled out a simple bar of green soap, a shaving brush and cut throat razor. Harry began to rolled the cylindrical bar of soap over his still damp face, until he had what looked like a pale green beard, before dipping the brush into the water and rubbing it in small circles across the outline of his soapy beard. Harry watched as the bristles of his brush transformed the soap into bright white foam.

The mirror had become hazy with steam as Harry set aside his brush causing him to wipe a hand across it, clearing a path on the mirror and allowing himself to see his reflection. He picked up his razor, flicking it open and exposing the blade, before moving it toward his skin.

Harry paused slightly when the figure of Blaise wandered into the bathroom, arms raised and eyes closed as he yawned. Harry dragged the razor down one side of his neck, enjoying the sound of the blade cutting through the stubble.

"I'll never understand why you insist on using those things." said Blaise tiredly.

Harry heard the sound of water and assumed that Blaise had walked into his own shower, ignoring both his own and Harrys nudity.

"There are just somethings that magic just doesn't do as well." said Harry with a shrug of his shoulders, dragging the razor down the other side of his neck before cleaning the blade in the sink full of water.

"It just looks dangerous." called Blaise from his cubicle. "No razor is ever getting that close to my throat."

A shaving charm was okay in certain situations but it just didn't give quite the same feel as a 'proper' shave and anything less than clean shaven and Harry began to feel a little dirty. How Theo lived with the badly grown beard that now sat proudly on his cheeks, Harry had no idea.

"You should try it, Blaise. Might make you even prettier."

Blaise gave a hearty chuckle as Harry saw him rinsing his hair free of what smelled like cherry flavoured shampoo.

"Nah." dismissed Blaise. "It wouldn't be fair to the rest of you."

Harry pursed his lips and shaved his top lip, removing the last of the white foamy soap from his face, before casting his razor to the side and dipping his hands into the water, cupping them and splashing cleaning his face.

"You coming down to breakfast?" asked Harry, straightening up and grabbing a green towel from the side of the sink, dabbing at his face.

"Already?" questioned Blaise. "Be a while yet, mate. I'll meet you down there."

Harry gave Blaise a nod and left the bathroom, drying himself as he went. There was still no sign of any of the others so Harry continued to his bed, happy to see that Blaise had enlarged and placed his trunk at the foot of his bed. It wasn't anything fancy, certainly nothing like any of his dorm-mates, but it was the first thing Harry had owned that hadn't been second hand. It had a certain sentimental value even though he could probably afford a better one now. His clothes, slowly accumulated over the last year or so, sat folded neatly inside the trunk but he wouldn't need to wear them today.

Harry pulled a clean pair of boxers and socks out, slipping them on, before dressing himself in his uniform and making his way downstairs. As expected the common room was all empty save for a lonely looking first year, drowning in his uniform and looking thoroughly engrossed at staring out into the merky depths of the lake. As Harrys footsteps echoed through the common room, the young boys turned his attention to him. He was small – even for a first year – with long, chin length red hair and thick framed glasses.

"Hey kid?" Called Harry, pausing as he walked toward the entrance. "If you see the Baron...tell him Harry Potter wants to see him."

"The Baron?" repeated the boy with a frown. "I don't know who the Baron is?"

"You'll know who the Baron is." said Harry as he walked into the tunnel that led out of the dungeon entrance.

Harry made his way toward the great hall, looking forward to his first meal in almost twenty four hours. Daphne and he never quite made it for their midnight raid on the kitchens.

The great hall was as splendid as ever. The four long tables that represented the four houses of Hogwarts sat before him, already filled with every imaginable delicacy and a sprinkling of students scattered across the four tables, the table at the top of the hall was already filled with the entire body of staff – who chatted amongst themselves as they ate breakfast. The famous ceiling showing nothing but jet black clouds made it almost dark enough to light the candles. Harry made his way to the far left, taking a seat right in the centre of the Slytherin table, which up until the moment he'd sat down had been completely empty.

Harry helped himself to a healthy portion of scrambled egg, two sausages and three rashers of bacon. Harry had almost sat down to tuck in when he spotted the black pudding, reaching for one to complete his plateful. Harry dug in with out waiting any further, savouring the taste of the food on his plate.

Harry ate in silence as the hall around him began to slowly fill with students. The Slytherin table seemed to fill slower than the others; though that wasn't too much of a surprise, the Slytherin dungeon was comfortably – or so he'd heard – the furthest away from the great hall. The heads of houses slowly began to work their way up and down the rapidly filling tables, handing out each students class schedule.

"Mr. Potter." the deep, drawling voice of professor Snape called. Harry turned in his seat, a piece of sausage on his fork, to see Snape standing behind him, looking down at him. Snape was a odd looking man. He was a tall, thin man with a large hooked nose and yellow uneven teeth. His hair was shoulder length, greasy and fell around his face in curtains. His eyes a dark brown and seemed to penetrate right through you. Snape was, as usual, dressed in the now familiar plain jet black robes that he had worn for the last six years.

"Yes professor?"

"Your schedule." said Snape, handing him a rolled up piece of parchement. "I took the liberty of enrolling you into Professor Slughorns class. He is rather more accommodating to failure than I."

Harry was shocked. He'd assumed Slughorn would have similar standards to Snape when it came to admission into his class. Everything people had said about Slughorn was that he liked to surround himself with students he thought would prove to be a success. Why would his class be any different?

"Professor Slughorn accepts an E?"

"For students who should have received an O in their owl, yes." said Snape. There was no hiding the tone of disappointment in the former potions professors voice. "I must admit I was disappointed in your result. If you had properly applied yourself you where capable of so much better."

Harry couldn't argue. He had been disappointed with only an E in potions. He'd studied for it but he had to admit by the end of the exams last year, he'd had more pressing concerns on his mind. His focus on the final exam had slipped. It wasn't an excuse – and he'd never use it as one – but the daily owls from had been at the forefront of his mind.

"I know, sir." confessed Harry. "Thank you."

"I expect better going forward, Potter." Stated Snape. "I vouched that you were worth admission. Do not make me regret it."

With the sweep of his robes, Snape continued along walking along the table handing out the other students timetables but rarely stopping to talk to them. Harry found himself joined by Theo, still looking half a sleep, before any of the others arrived.

"Mornin'"

"Morning, Theo."

Harry pushed his empty plate away from himself as he watched Theo load his plate up.

"You got your schedule?" asked Theo between bites. "What's it like?"

"Busy." admitted Harry. "But decent. Got potions first."

"Potions?" repeated Theo, looking up from his plate sharply.

"Apparently. Snape said Slughorn was willing to let students into his class that Snape thinks should have gotten an O." Answered Harry.

"That's good news." said Theo with a grin.

Harry didn't answer. His attention had been captured by the figure of Anthony Goldstein walking into the great hall. Anthony Goldstein was a short, squat wizard with a thatch of strawberry blonde hair, chubby face and small, pig like nose. Harry watched him walk to join the other sixth year ravenclaw students. Harry could barely contain the look of disgust as he watched him, talking and laughing with his friends, making himself a sausage butty like he didn't have a care in the world. Like he didn't owe them eight galleons.

Just looking at him made Harry angry. Goldstein was probably worse than Smith. At least with Smith, he came from a relatively normal muggle-born family. Harry could almost understand Smith not being able to get his hands on the gold that he owed. But not Goldstein. Goldstein came from a family that rivalled the Malfoys for gold. His father owned a well known broom servicing company that worked closely with the Quidditch league. Goldstein had been the student to turn up with a brand new Nimbus 2001 in his second year to only replace it with a Firebolt a year later. He didn't even play Quidditch. Goldstein could pay back the money he owed and not even break a sweat. Eight galleons was a lot of money to most but to Goldstein that was nothing. And that made it worse.

Goldstein wasn't paying the money back because he couldn't afford it, Goldstein wasn't paying the money back because he took them for fools. It was a slap in the face. Draco was right, they couldn't look weak and Harry had no intention of them doing so. He'd get their money and everybody who placed a bet with them would no not to cheat them.

Harry blinked as Blaise sat down opposite him, blocking his view of Goldstein, which was probably for the best. Blaise smelt like a tarts handbag, not even the aroma of a table full of food could block the assault of whatever aftershave Blaise was wearing.

"Bloody hell, Blaise." moaned Theo, wrinkling his nose.

"What?" exclaimed Blaise.

"Bit over the top with the perfume, mate." Stated Harry, wafting his hand in front of his nose theatrically whilst grinning at his friend.

"Oh leave off." grumbled Blaise. "You two just don't know class when it smacks you in the face."

"Class?" Snorted Theo. "There are whores in Knockturn Alley wearing classier stuff than that!"

"That's not fair, Theo." said Harry, turning to mockingly wag his finger at Theo. "His mother could have gotten that for him."

"Ah, true, she would know all about whores." said Theo with a toothy grin.

"I hate you both." mumbled Blaise, grabbing a piece of toast and buttering it forcefully.

"Zabini your schedule." announced Snape arriving behind Blaise and handing him a piece of parchment which Blaise accepted. Snape looked over Blaise and toward Theo, those penetrating dark eyes looking at Theo intently. There was a pause, Theos schedule in the professors hand, as Snape looked at Theo – who to his credit, didn't once break eye contact – before he slowly reached out to give Theo his own schedule without saying a word.

It had never been a secret amongst them that Snape was a Death Eater. Draco had informed them of their head of houses true loyalty at the beginning of their fifth year. It didn't really effect Harry much. How or why Voldemort had Snape positioned at Hogwarts was of no concern of his. It only mattered that they kept Snape out of their business as much as possible and with Snapes willingness to turn a relatively 'blind eye' to Dracos – his godson – actions, they'd been able to do as they pleased. Draco, and therefore them, had always had a somewhat uneasy deal with Snape, that as long as it didn't bring negative attention upon Slytherin house, then he didn't really bother them. That was very much a deal that Harry was keen to keep going.

"Any sign of Mr. Malfoy?" Snape inquired.

"Havent seen him all morning." Answered Blaise. "Must be sleeping in."

Snape frowned.

"He'd better hurry. You three have potions in twenty minutes." Said Snape before walking away and collaring several of the first years.

"I hate the way he stares." moaned Theo. "Like he's looking into your soul."

"I find it best to avoid his gaze." said Harry. "Don't want any nasty Legilimens accidents."

"He'd never use it on a student." stated Blaise with certainty.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry." said Harry. "You wanna head to potions, Theo?"

Theo looked down at the watch that decorated his skinny wrist with a frown.

"The post hasn't even arrived yet." protested Theo.

"But if we get there early you might be able have chance to speak to Slughorn one on one?" said Harry, who knew he'd convinced Theo the moment the word Slughorn left his lips. Theo stuffed the last piece of toast into his mouth before reaching down under the table, fumbling for a second near his feet as he groped for his bag. Harry stood from the bench and waited for Theo for a second.

"We'll see you later Blaise." Said Theo over his shoulder, already setting off at a brisk pace and leaving Harry momentarily behind.

"You two enjoy potions. I've got a free period first which might just be the perfect way to break in a new term." said Blaise.

Harry gave a wave and set off after Theo.

The dungeon door opened and Slughorns barrel like belly appeared, proceeding the man out of the door. Harry and Theo were the first to shuffle into the potions classroom, Theo beyond disappointed that -despite arriving early – they hadn't had time to speak to Slughorn. Notts admiration of Slughorn seemed to boarder on the level that Pansy had admired Lockhart.

The dungeon was filled with bubbling cauldrons causing the room to have an almost smoky look to it as a variety of vapours poured out of them, filling the room with some very odd smells. Harry couldn't help but take a sniff of something putrid that sat bubbling in a large cauldron on the table that they'd picked as their workstation – saving a seat for Draco. Whispers filled the dungeon as the handful of students began to wonder just what was brewing. Harry took a look around the class. There was only about a dozen students present, four Ravenclaw students, three Gryffindor students – Longbottom, Granger and Weasley – four Hufflepuffs and themselves. It seemed that most of their year had struggled in their O.W.L. Harry turned his attention back to Theo, who was already scribbling away furiously on a roll of parchment.

Draco Malfoy was the last student through the door. He looked every bit as tired as he had done the previous day. His eyes were still ringed by deep purple bags, though his hair wasn't the mess it had been yesterday, instead today it was in it's usual slicked back style. Draco plopped himself down in the spare stool beside Theo and opposite Harry.

"Pansy help you get settled last night?" Said Harry with a smirk.

"Shut up, Potter." replied Draco, stifling a yawn. "It's your fault. I would have had a perfectly good nights sleep but you had to help me get those quarters. Pansy thinks I did it for '_us'._"

"Oh I'm so sorry that I got you _laid_!" said Harry with a roll of his eyes.

"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn, who was nothing more than a shimmering blur amidst the vapours. "Scales out, everyone,potion kits to and don't forget your copy of advanced potions."

"Sir?" said Harry, raising his hand.

"Mr. Potter?"

"I haven't got a book or scales or anything. I didn't realise that I would be able to take potions this year."

"Of course, of course." mumbled Slughorn. "Not to worry m'boy. You can borrow from me until you have chance to get your own. Scales and kit in the cupboard over there and I'm sure Mr. Malfoy wouldn't object to sharing his textbook, would you?"

"Course not."

Harry got up quickly and grabbed himself a set of scales from the cupboard and a set of rather decrepit looking scalpels.

"N.E.W.T level potions isn't for the faint hearted. You are all here because you gained the required O in your O. or were personally vouched for by Professor Snape as having the talent to cope with the work load." Announced Slughorn. "On the desks before you are a few examples of calibre of potions that I expect you to be able to brew. Can anyone tell me what this one is?"

Slughorn pointed his sausage like fingers toward the cauldron that sat on the Ravenclaw table, boiling what looked like plain water.

"It's Veritaserum, a colourless, oderless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth." Said Theo without looking up from his parchment, still scribbling down notes furiously.

"Very good, very good." Said Slughorn happily. "And this one?" He continued pointing to the cauldron on Harrys own table.

"Polyjuice potion." answered Theo again without looking up.

"Excellent, excellent! Now, this one here..."

"It's Amortentia."

"Indeed. Can you tell me what it does?" Asked Slughorn, peering at Theo with interest.

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world." said Theo, finally looking up and addressing the professor directly. "It smells different to every person, tailoring itself to what the individual finds attractive."

"It seems Professor Snape did not exaggerate your talents, Mr. Nott." said Slughorn, sounding nothing but impressed. Harry could see out the corner of his eye that Hermione Granger was anything but impressed at Theo answering the professors questions without raising his hand. It was not often, if ever, that Hermione Granger was shown up in class.

"Fifty points to Slytherin." said Slughorn. "Amortentia doesn't ever really create love, of course. It is impossible to replicate true love. It causes an infatuation or obsession. It's an incredibly dangerous potion." Slughorn paused, staring at the potion with a look of disdain before turning his attention back to the class. "And now its time for work."

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in that one." Said one of the Hufflepuffs – Macmillian, if Harry remembered right – pointing to a small, rusty looking cauldron sitting proudly on Slughorns desk. Harry could hear the potion slopping around messily within the tiny cauldron, the vapour rising out a bright golden colour and every now and then a drop of bright gold would fly above the cauldron rim but never spill onto the dark wooden desk.

Harry watched Slughorns moustache twitch into a smile and Harry got the distinct impression that Slughorn hadn't forgotten about it at all but had chosen to wait for dramatic effect.

" Well, that one, is a curious little potion called Felix Felicis." said Slughorn. Harry had never seen Notts head snap up to attention quicker in his life, how the boy didn't get whiplash was beyond him. Theo was looking at Slughorn hungrier for knowledge than Harry had ever seen him. It was no secret between the four of them that Theo had been trying, unsuccessfully, to brew 'liquid luck' since their fourth year. Theo's logic had been then that the Tri-wizard champions needed all the luck they could get their hands on; now his logic was 'who wouldn't be willing to pay to have the perfect day?'.Of course, despite all their attempts, it had proven quite tricky to make and even Theo hadn't mastered it yet.

"Liquid luck!" muttered Theo.

"Correct again, Theodore!" boomed Slughorn. "Ten more points to Slytherin. It's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis. Desperately tricky to make, disastrous to miscalculate. However, when brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavours tend to succeed...at least until the effect wears off."

Harry tore his eyes away from the potions and over to Nott who was scribbling every word Slughorn said furiously down onto a new piece of parchment. Harry had always seen the reasoning behind Theo's desire to brew liquid luck. If he'd managed to brew it correctly it would be worth a fortune.

"Why don't people drink it all the time, then?" asked Terry Boot curiously.

"Because, like anything, in excess, it causes the consumer to become giddy, reckless and dangerously overconfident. It is highly toxic in large quantities." Replied Slughorn.

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" Asked Draco curiously.

"Twice." said Slughorn spinning to answer at Draco. "Once when I was twenty-four and once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoons taken with breakfast. Two perfect days."

Harry locked eyes with Draco as Slughorn seemed to drift easily into a daydream about those _particular _perfect days. It certainly had an effect on the class, intended or not. Everybody in the classroom was suddenly craning to get a better look at that little potion. Harry could almost feel the want radiating off his fellow pupils.

"Felix Felicis is however a banned substance in organized competitions – sporting events, for instance, examinations and elections. The idea is to make an ordinary day extraordinary!" said Slughorn finished enthusiastically. "And that is the prize on offer today. One vial, enough for a perfect day, to the student who comes closest – in the hour we have left – to successfully brew the Draught of Living Death."

That was a complex potion. Way more complex than anything that they had brewed with Snape and certainly at the more difficult end of the spectrum. Harry could see everybody else felt similarly too him. This was one way to kick start the new term.

"I understand this is a difficult potion to brew. I am not expecting it to be perfect, just do as well as you can. It'll give me a good idea of the level the class is at. Remember little felix here is at stake. Begin!" The scraping of chairs filled the dungeon as as everybody pulled their empty cauldrons in front of them.

The hour passed quickly with the sound of scalpels slicing through a variety of ingredients, cauldrons bubbling boisterously and students muttering as they weighed out each individual ingredient. Nobody spoke during the hour. Every single person concentrating entirely on the task at hand, eager to win the prize. It seemed everybody had a different approach. Some, like Granger and Boot worked methodically through the textbook whilst others took a few calculated risks to try and cut corners and hope for a similar outcome in half the time. Then there was Theo. Theo disregarded the textbook completely, crossing things out and scribbling his own cramped notes down as he worked, mumbling to himself constantly.

Theo's potion was comfortably the furthest along. His already a deep purple colour and waslooking much smoother than either Harrys and Dracos combined. Harrys own was jet black and bubbling thickly, looking very much like tar. Theo's postion was attracting a considerable amount of attention from the other students. Harry lost count of the number of their classmates that to 'suddenly' get something from the store cupboard, only to walk past incredibly slowly past Theo's cauldron.

Hermione Granger had angrily demanded to know how Theo had gotten so far ahead, unable to accept that Theo was simply that good.

"Ladies and Gentlemen please step back from your cauldrons." said Slughorn, after a glance at his pocket watch.

It took a few moments to get everybody to move back from their work stations, Hermione Granger the most reluctant to stop working. Slughorn walked around the class room, inspecting every ones efforts. Slughorn spent longer with some than he did others, whispering advice and techniques to the students as he did so but he came to a stop at their table.

"A good effort." said Slughorn to Harry, dipping his little finger into the bubbling cauldron to test thickness. "A little thick but other wise good. Another ten minutes and you'd have the right colour at least. And yours Mr. Malfoy..." Slughorn paused, directing his attention to Draco and peering into his cauldron. "Yours is a little further along but it doesn't smell quite right...I think you used to much sopophorous bean juice."

Harry waited with baited breath to see what Slughorn had to say about Theos potion, as did the rest of the class.

"M'boy." said Slughorn with a gasp. "That's perfect. It is exactly were it should be after an hours brewing; right thickness, right colour and even smells correctly. Ladies and Gentlemen we have a winner!"

Slughorns chubby hand delved into the pocket of his robe for an instant before pulling out a vials worth of Felix Felicis. Slughorn seemed to take a moment to admire it, enjoying the way that it shined even in the dim candle light of the dungeon, before handing to Theo. Most students in the class would have smiled but not Theo, instead Theos eyes never left the vial.

"Congratulations, congratulations, may whatever day you decide to use it on, be as wonderful as the two I had!" said Slughorn to Theo with a smile that caused his bushy white moustache to spread across his face. Harry watched as Theo slipped the tiny bottle of golden liquid into his inner pocket, looking delighted with himself. "Right that's it for today. Off with you!"

Slughorn dismissed the class with a wave of his hand. Harry stood as the rest of the class began to shuffle out, mumbling amongst themselves about the disappointment of not winning liquid luck. Slughorn, however, never moved from their table, his gooseberry eyes moving between the three of them with what looked pride.

"It goes without saying Theodore – do you mind if I call you Theodore? -" Said Slughorn, interrupting himself mid-sentence, looking at Theo intently as he waited for the boy to nod. "Good! Well, as I was saying, it goes without saying that I would be over joyed to have you come to the next meeting of our little _club_."

"I would be honoured, Professor!" Beamed Theo in response.

"Excellent, excellent." said Slughorn, wringing his hands together. "Naturally you two are invited as well, Mr. Zabini too."

Both Harry and Draco bowed their heads respectfully in thanks for the invitation. Though, Harry didn't quite have the enthusiasm for these little 'meetings' that Theo had.

The class room was now entirely empty for all except the three of them and Professor Slughorn, who did not seem in any great hurry to let them leave the dungeon.

"I must confess myself a little disappointed, Harry, that you haven't quite inherited your mothers skill with a cauldron. She was a dab hand at Potions." said Slughorn with a hint of sadness to his voice.

"Is, professor, is." said Harry before he could stop himself.

Slughorn looked at him for a long moment before his moustache twitched and the bald professor bowed his head in apology.

"Of course." said Slughorn quietly. "I didn't mean to imply..."

"I know, professor." said Harry cutting the elderman off before he could complete his sentance.

"I suggest you three get going. I'm sure you have lessons to get too. If any of your professors give you trouble about being a little late, m'boys, just tell them you were with ol'sluggy."

Harry looked to Draco, who nodded, before exiting the classroom, intent on heading up to Ancient Runes. Eager to get out of the dungeon, something about Slughorn didn't sit right with.

The first day of term was always the longest, so it was with relief that Harry came to a stop outside of the door to Draco's quarters. He knocked sharply once and waited. It wasn't long before the door opened a fraction, revealing the rather square face of Goyle. Goyles dark eyes widen in recognition before he jerked the door open and allowed Harry in.

Harry walked past Goyle, clapping him on his broad shoulder as he did so, and walked into Dracos little common room to find Draco sat on one sofa with Crabbe whilst Blaise and Theo sat opposite them on the other sofa. The lone armchair remained unoccupied, apparently awaiting his arrival.

Harry was about to cross the room, intent on collapsing into the unoccupied armchair, when he saw the familiar pearly white figure of the Bloody Baron come floating through the far wall. The Baron had wide, piercing black eyes that sat on a gaunt face. His robes were covered in blood and several metres of heavy metal chains sat wrapped around his shoulders. On his head sat a large, curly wig powdered wig.

"At last, Mr. Potter! I have been searching the very walls of Hogwarts for you!" said the Baron in his usual hoarse whisper, coming to a stop in the space between Harrys armchair and the sofa Draco and Crabbe sat on. Harry had almost forgotten about wanting to see the Baron. "You wished to see me?"

"I did." said Harry with a nod. "But first...how are you Baron? Did you have a good summer?"

The Baron shook his head and waved his hand, momentarily taking it off the hilt of his sword.

"It was the same as it has been for the last nine hundred years. The castle feels mighty empty without you students filling its halls." said the Baron.

"I would have thought you'd welcome the peace and quiet?" asked Harry smoothly. "Give you more private time to woo the Gray Lady."

"Ahh my boy, you have a lot to learn." sighed the Bloody Baron. "Even in death, women are impossible to understand. It has been nine hundred years and the Grey Lady...she barely acknowledges me, let alone my attempts at courtship."

Harry had often wondered about the story of the Bloody Baron and the Grey Lady. It was, according to rumour, quite a scandal. A sordid tale of unrequited love, betrayal, treachery and murder. Of course, neither the Grey Lady nor the Bloody Baron had ever confirmed those rumours but they had been whispered by more generations of witches and wizards than Harry could count.

"Well after nine hundred years perhaps this year could be your year." said Harry with a smile. "The year to break her resistance."

"Ah the optimism of youth." sighed the Baron longingly. "So tell young master, how may I help you?"

Harry leant back in his armchair, well aware of the fact that everybody else in the room was watching his conversation with interest.

"I need a favour, Baron." said Harry. "A member of Ravenclaw house is acting...with disrespect towards us." Harry watched the Barons eyebrows raise slightly. "He's acting without any honour."

"How so?"

Harry paused for a moment. Thinking of the right way to proceed.

"He owes us a debt and we are having trouble getting payment." Harry stated vaguely.

"A real man always honours his debts." said the Baron wisely.

"Exactly." agreed Harry.

"It is of great dismay that I witness with each generation that passes through these walls, the virtues of what make a wizard a wizard are slowly disappearing." said the Baron sadly. "What is a man without his honour?"

"We agree." said Harry, motioning to the others sat in the room, pleased the Baron followed his hands and looked at his friends, who all adopted sympathetic looks. "And we pride ourselves on being the last of a dying breed."

"Men with honour!" cried the Baron, thrusting his pearly white arms forward, fist clenched.

"Men with honour." repeated Harry. "And this is why we need your help."

"Ask and I shall endeavour to help the last honourable men in this castle." stated the Baron passionately. Honour clearly played a much larger role in the Barons society than it did in their own.

"The boy who questions our honour is a Ravenclaw." repeated Harry. "He is refusing to _honour _our agreement and we need a way to make him."

"Regretfully, young masters, my days of duelling for honour are long gone. I am not sure how much help I can be." The Baron said mournfully.

"All I need is a message passed." said Harry with a slight shrug of his shoulders, like what he was asking was nothing.

"Why not use an owl?" asked the Baron.

"Owls can be traced and this needs to be handled delicately." replied Harry. It was true. Owls could be intercepted, killed and even tricked. They were not a safe way to send messages of a secretive or personal nature. He never conducted matter of business through owls or letters.

"Of course, of course."

"All I need you to do Baron is to play match maker." said Harry. "Tell the Grey Lady, in the guise of one of your attempts to win her heart that a student of ours wants to meet a student of hers. You tell her that Tracy Davis wants to met Anthony Goldstein in the room of requirement this coming Friday night. We'll take care of the rest."

The Baron nodded in understanding before folding his arms across the blood stained robes.

"And what do I get for doing you this favour?"

Harry had never expected the Baron to do this without some form of payment but he'd drawn a blank with what you offer a ghost? The Baron had no need for gold, no need for potions or alcohol.

"What would you like?"

The Baron seemed to mull this over for a few minutes before his thin lips twisted into a smile.

"I want a death-day party. Thrown by you, in the common room and attended by everybody. Sir Nicholas had one a couple of years ago attended by every ghost in Hogwarts and Hogsmede but no ghost has ever had their death-day celebrated with the living."

Harry had expected much more. That they could do and do easily.

"We'll gladly do that for you Baron." agreed Harry. "Consider it done."

"On the condition you get Goldstein to the room of requirement." Draco chipped in.

"He will be." said the Baron gleefully.

"It goes without saying that this conversation stays between us."

"Naturally." agreed the Baron before giving a deep bow before floating away through the wall as if he'd only ever been passing through.

"You don't waste any time." said Blaise with a smile.

"Not when there is gold at stake." replied Harry.

"You think he'll go for it?" asked Theo, speaking for the first time.

"If he thinks Tracy is interested? Yeah." said Harry with certainty. "I have it on good information he asked her out at least twice during the end of last term."

Sometimes Daphne gossiping was a gift from Merlin himself.

"And when he's there?" said Draco. "What then?"

Harry turned his attention away from Draco and toward Crabbe and Goyle, who had taken to standing directly behind Crabbe – arms folded.

"That's were you two come in."

All eyes turned to Crabbe and Goyle, who shifted their considerable mass uneasily under the stares of their year mates.

"You want us to hurt 'im?" Grunted Goyle.

Harry barely bit back a smile at the fact that Goyle didn't sound to disturbed by the prospect of being asked to hurt Goldstein. Draco had always vouched for them as being trust worthy but Harry had always been reluctant to use them in any capacity other than the inquisitorial squad – and even then he had very little to do with that little venture, that had firmly been Dracos idea. He simply didn't think they had the talent, skill or brains to be useful.

He had, of course, naively overlooked their physical attributes.

"Not quite, Goyle. We'll give him a chance to pay us the money back first -"

"Why?" asked Draco. "He's had months."

Harry nodded in agreement. Draco was right. Both Goldstein and Smith had had several months to pay off their debts and hadn't.

"Sometimes you get more with honey than you do with vinegar." replied Harry.

"And when he doesn't pay up?" asked Theo, clearly completely confident that any attempt at resolving the outstanding debt peacefully would fail. "We can't let either of them get away with it. We have to send a message here."

"And what message would you send?" asked Harry. "You'd have me put them in the hospital wing? Come on Theo, you know that's not a good idea."

"We have to do something." argued Theo passionately.

"And we will." Stated Harry simply. "Sometimes the threat of what could happen is worse than the reality."

Harry had spent many years at Privet Drive watching Dudley reign terror down upon the neighbourhood children, but Harry could never actually remember ever seeing Dudley or his little gang lay so much as a finger upon any of them. But every child in Little Whinging would actively avoid Dudley like the plague. Of course, the fact that at the age of fourteen Dudley Dursley had taken up boxing and had spent the last few years racking up a rather impressive amateur record, didn't do anything to harm that reputation.

"And if the threats don't work?" Said Blaise.

Harry took a deep breath. He'd always known that when the four of them started down this path, mid way through their fourth year, that the likelihood of them running into conflict was quite likely. They'd even talked about it, thrown hypothetical situations up into the air and laughed them off with the relative innocence of childhood. Of course, they were older now and their ventures were that little more serious and the situations they'd laughed off were becoming that little more possible. When they'd started, it had always been about the money. And nothing had changed. It was still about the money and nothing and nobody could come between that.

"Then they have a problem." said Harry.

"How?" asked Blaise. "We can't do anything to them? You just said it yourself...we can hardly risk them ending up in the hospital wing..."

"Then we have to be creative."

Draco regarded him with a suspicious look before asking,"why do I have the feeling that you already have something up your sleeve?"

Harry didn't say anything. Draco wasn't wrong. His mind had been racing at a hundred miles per hour ever since the previous night and Draco had moved into his new quarters. Everything was going smoothly so far. Whilst Daphne had fallen asleep relatively quickly, he'd laid awake thinking how he was going to get his gold.

"I might do." said Harry with a slight shrug. "But I need to know that you two are ready to help?"

"They are." said Draco, answering for them. He'd always been very keen to involve his two childhood friends, despite their limitations. Draco was nothing if not loyal but Harry didn't need to hear that from Draco.

"Because the four of us have certain rules." continued Harry, choosing to ignore Draco entirely. "Rules that have served us well for the last couple of years and rules that I need to know that your going to follow."

Harry watched as Crabbe and Goyle shared a look between that Harry assumed was about as inquisitive as they got. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Theo squirming uncomfortably in his seat next to Blaise. Beside himself, Theo had always been the other who opposed utilising Crabbe and Goyle. Though, Harry assumed that to be because he didn't want to lose any of his share of the gold they made, rather than any fears of their abilities.

"What type of rules?" Asked Goyle.

"You do what your told. You don't act without running it by one of us first." Said Harry. "We're a team, we work for each other as much as for ourselves. "

It was hypocritical and Harry knew that. Here he was telling Crabbe and Goyle that they had to run everything by them, when he'd gone solo the previous evening. He doubted that had even flagged in either of their minds but it was different. It had been Harrys decisions that had made them their first few coins. Harrys decisions that had guided the four of them down this path. He'd earned the right to a little bit of anonymity with his decisions.

"You get caught? It's on you. We don't give names, we don't point fingers, we take whatever punishment is dished out to us and we thank them for it." said Harry. "And if you do decide that your needs out way the needs of the group..."

Harry trailed off, switching his gaze between his two fellow classmates. This was a big decision. It had been the four of them for so long, Crabbe and Goyle always relegated to the edges of their four man crew, but it was time to bring them into the fold. Their size and reputation (quite how they got such a reputation, Harry didn't know, he couldn't remember them doing anything to justify it) were a bonus, something their little quartet had lacked, those rabid-dog like wizards who followed instructions and did what they were told without question. But Harry couldn't deny that he was still uncomfortable with them. Needs must though. They served a bigger purpose than there physical gifts. If Draco and Theos refusal to take the dark mark was, as expected, not received well, then they became insurance. If they needed to make a quick exit and disappear having two – loyal – sons of Death Eaters could only ever be a good thing. It was something to bargain with, something to trade should things go a bit Morgana.

Harry didn't doubt for one second that if – and when – they received the call both Crabbe and Goyle would follow in the footsteps of their fathers and in truth, Harry wasn't concerned like he had been for Draco or Theo. Crabbe and Goyle where more of a means to an end. Grunts to do the dirty work and punishment whilst allowing the rest of them to focus on bigger and better things.

"We understand." said Crabbe. "And we want to help. We'll do anything that you need."

Harry nodded, sharing a look with the others. Both Draco and Blaise nodded in agreement whilst Theo simply shrugged.

"Good because Harry will need your help on Friday with Goldstein." said Draco. "Remember boys, we make gold by being smart. There is no room for getting carried away. Mistakes will not be accepted."

Both Crabbe and Goyle nodded.

"I still don't understand what you want us to do on friday if we aint hurtin' him?" Asked Goyle, a frown creasing his brow as he looked between Harry and Draco with confusion.

"Goldstein is an arrogant prick." stated Harry. "He won't think for one second that he'd come off worse in a duel between me and him. You only have to listen to him in Defence against the Dark Arts to know that he thinks himself a dueller. If I was on my own, he'd think he'd have a fair chance at besting me and I'd have to put him in his place. What he won't take a chance on is besting me with the two of you beside me. He'll know that at a moments notice you could _physically _harm him if I asked you to. Goldstein won't risk that type pain."

Goyle got what looked like a hopeful expression on his hardened face, like he was hoping that that possibility would come true. Harry couldn't really blame him. Goldstein was a thoroughly dislikeable lad.

"I still don't think he'll bend to threats and a few punches." said Theo his lips nothing more than a thin line.

"Who said anything about punches?" replied Harry with a smirk. "Crabbe and Goyle are just there to try and get him to talk. We'll give him a week to get us the money and if not, he'll take a trip into the vanishing cabinet."


End file.
